Kitty Litter Christmas
by Wynja
Summary: When you have three small children together, you ALL need to be heroic, because diapers can be deadly, and raising children demands a whole new kind of courage… Christmas story of 2013, Kitty Litter universe, Slade/Robin/Red X, Nekos, M-preg universe, slash.
1. Sunday, 1st of December 2013

**A/N: **Hi, and welcome to this year's Christmas story! This time it's the Kitty Litter universe, so if you haven't read any of those stories, you kinda need to read them first.

The ones in **bold** letters are the ones you really SHOULD read before reading this one… The numbers are the chapter-numbers of the drabble, so you'll find them faster…

They are (listed in the order you should read them):

In "Delightful Drabbles":

**53: Circus Freak**

57: Catty Valentines!

**58: Kitty Litter**

62: Kitty Snippet, Halloween 2009

**75: Kitty Negotiations **

In "Christmas Drabbles 2010":

03: Angelic Lust

and:

**Kitty Litter of a Different** **Kind** (story)

* * *

There. If you are caught up now, let's start. There's one chapter every day from the 1st-25th of December and after that we'll jump about 17 years into the FUTURE for this family and check out what happens then. You don't have to read that story if you don't want, though, because as it will follow the triplets as teenagers, it's practically and OC story, though the canon characters are around, of course.

Don't expect a lot in the ways of story-line: no one will get kidnapped or anything, this is mostly domestic, but it has a form of message which you hopefully will pick up on by Christmas… ;) There will be fluff, there will be smex and there will be a little bit of angst… and a lot of diapers.

Reviews are nice, but don't feel you have to review EVERY DAY, just check in once in a while to let me know if you like it or not. I will probably not be answering many reviews either, so let's be lazy together… ;)

Oh, and a big THANK YOU to **GraysonGirl **who was the beta for this whole story!

* * *

**Kitty Litter Christmas**

**Sunday, 1st of December 2013**

A Sunday stroll through the park… Robin knew it was a cliché, but as he pushed the triplets in their stroller, walking between his two mates, he couldn't help but find it just _perfect_.

"Help! Police!"

"Slade, take over!" Robin left the stroller pushing to the mercenary and was off as if a dog was chasing him, tail whipping. Almost instantly he saw what was going on: two armed men were crossing the road ahead towards a car which had its motor running. Claws out, Robin leapt. The first man got a foot in the face, the second an elbow. The car's engine roared to life, but another jump landed the teen on its hood. The driver only stared in shock at first and then hit the brakes. The hero was ready, though, and with his perfect balance he stayed put before kicking in the windscreen. He dragged the driver out, bashed his head on the hood of the car hard enough to knock him out, and jumped off, landing nimbly on the sidewalk, grinning.

"Robin, thank you!" a man called out to him, the storeowner by the looks of it. At that moment two police cars screeched to a halt next to the scene as well.

"No problem, glad I could help!" the teen smiled, and then his eyes met those of his mates. "Oh… fuck," he mumbled, ears drooping a little.

"Ma-ma!" Oliver then cried out, prompting the other two to do the same. Robin's face split in a grin again and he hurried over to his beautiful brood.

"We'll talk about this later," Slade growled.

"Could we just leave now? That cop is looking at me funny," Red X groaned.

"I_ hope_ you are imagining things," the hero warned him.

"Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma!" Oliver insisted, making grabby-hands at Robin.

"No, little guy, if I pick you up, your brother and sister would want to be carried too," the teen tried to explain. Oliver gave him a thoughtful look and then shone up again.

"Da-da-da-da!"

"Ha! If at first you don't succeed…" Red grinned down at his son.

"…ask the half-wit," Slade filled in and got a playful punch in the shoulder from the thief.

"Stop it you two, I have _three _children not_ five_," Robin snorted. "To the playground!" he added and to the babies' delight he grabbed the stroller and took off running.

"Speaking about childish," Slade muttered as he followed.

All the kids loved the baby-swings, but the one who seemed to have the most fun was the fearless little Alexandra. Her hair was still white as snow and as the children's eye colors had changed, hers had turned into a almost ethereal turquoise. She had been the first to sit up, and Robin knew she was very close to crawling.

The triplets were about to turn five months old, but as Ferocitas they were ahead of human children in their development. It wasn't always very obvious, however, mostly because of their size, and they were all different. Still, Robin had begun to think of them as 'toddlers' though it was really about six or seven months too soon for that in human terms.

Oliver already used a few words, even though most was gibberish, while Dominic rarely spoke at all. He _could_, though, that much they knew, it just seemed that he preferred not to. He seemed happy enough, however, and Doctor Leslie had spent hours on the phone with Robin telling him that it was 'perfectly normal', which had become code for 'stop bothering me'.

Robin carefully placed Oliver into the swing, minding his tiny tail which poked out from the elastic opening in the diaper and slits in the clothes. The little boy, still smallest of the three, babbled away happily, smiling with his whole face, showing off the gorgeous dimples he had inherited from his father. He had most likely inherited the hair color too; a rich honey with a hint of copper. His big eyes were a stunning deep blue and he could melt hearts at ten paces. Red himself now sported reddish-brown hair which fell into his eyes but was quite short at the back. Robin didn't know if his mate had dyed it to match his son's, but it looked good none the less. They were used to him not keeping the same hair color for more than six months tops, though, so the cat knew that he had to enjoy it while he could.

Slade was swinging Alexandra, who was howling with laughter. Red had gotten Dominic to giggle as well in his swing. The boy had Robin's black hair and Slade's iron-grey eyes. It often looked like he was thinking very deep thoughts, and not only when he was filling his diaper. Dominic was the one who had figured out that he could reach a toy on a blanket by dragging the blanket towards him. Slade had been quite proud of that achievement.

"Ah-ma-ba-ba-MA!" Oliver said happily, making Robin grin.

"More? Can you say more? Mooore…" he tried.

"Mo! mooo!"

"My clever little boy!" the teen laughed and pushed the swing a little bit higher. None of them were swinging _that_ high of course, just enough to get a little tickle in their tummies.

"Oh-oh," the teen heard Slade say. "Diaper bag time." He plucked a protesting Alexandra out of the swing and went over to the fully loaded stroller.

"Dominic's ears are drooping, I think it's time for a nap," Red X was next to announce.

Robin checked his watch: "Yes, we're late!"

"I remember a time when my biggest concern didn't include being late for naps," Slade said philosophically while he expertly changed his daughter on a blanket on the ground.

"We all do," Robin snorted. "But we _like_ naps, don't we Ollie?" he said and lifted his son up. "Yes we do! No, no don't give me that bottom lip! You can go sleepy in the stroller… wanna drive really fast?"

"Mama!" the kitten grinned and grabbed his 'mother's' hair. "Mama boom!"

"Boom? Oh no, not boom-boom in your pants?"

"Boom!"

"Yeah, I can smell it now too. Don't put away the bag, Slade…" he sighed.

Being a parent was a very glamorous life…

* * *

Once they were back in the apartment all kids were sleeping soundly so, after carefully removing their thin jackets, the parents let them stay in the stroller. The back had been tilted down so they were comfortable, but they all knew that moving them was dangerous. If they woke up and didn't go back to sleep at once, they were _no_ fun to be around. Robin and Slade claimed they had all inherited that from Red. Red tried to point out that the only genes all of their kids shared were _Robin's_, but he had to admit he was the one who did tend to get the crankiest without sleep.

"Well?" Robin said as they had left the stroller in the nursery and came out to the living room. "Are you going to try to yell at me, or what?"

"We're not going to _yell_, Robin," Slade snorted.

"We're not? _I'm_ gonna yell a bit!" Red objected. "They were robbers! They were _armed_! What the hell were you_ thinking_?"

"That I want to protect people?" the cat-boy snorted, his tail twisting irritably.

"We have children now-" Slade began.

"And like I told you before they were born; it will _not_ mean I'm going to give up who I am!" Robin growled. "When I- when I _changed_, my life was destroyed! I went from being the leader of the Teen Titans to an instinct driven idiot who couldn't even go on a stakeout without ending up chasing _leaves_! I was more or less kicked off my team for being _useless_!"

"We know, we were there," Slade said calmingly. "We helped, we-"

"-laughed," Red cut in. "What? We did? Come on, you were just hilarious sometimes!" he then noticed that Robin wasn't amused and sighed. "Sorry. But as Slade said, we helped, and you got better…"

"Yes, I got better. Hell, I became a better crime fighter than my whole old team _combined_!" Robin correctly stated. "Sure, I slipped up now and then, but I never stopped trying to control myself. I work _very_ hard, because I _do _want to be a hero. It's _important_ to me… I mean…" he snuggled up to Red, butting his head against the taller teen's chest, and then pulled Slade close too until his mates cocooned him. "I would never, ever give you or the kids up… the worst thing that ever happened to me gave me the best things in my life too, isn't that ironic?"

"Somewhat," Slade chuckled, "but we just want you to be careful… if you leave us two alone with three kids to raise, you've doomed us all…" he added in a overly dramatic way.

"I have no intention of leaving you, or even go back to patrolling yet… I'm very happy 'just' being a mom right now, but that doesn't mean I can just stand and watch when something like that happens right in front of my eyes!"

"Maybe we should bring the blindfold to the park from now on?" Red chuckled, and kissed Robin's ear, so it twisted away from the tickling sensation.

"That would give us all the wrong ideas," Slade muttered.

"_About_ the 'wrong ideas'…" Robin grinned up at his mates. "They _will_ be asleep for at least half an hour?"

"Yes, we should look over our taxes while we have some peace and quiet," Slade deadpanned.

"You do that, and Red and I will go be quiet in the bedroom," Robin grinned, dragging the other young man with him.

"Well, maybe the taxes can wait," the mercenary was forced to admit when his joke backfired.

"Do we even _pay _taxes?" Red asked.

"Of course we do! We help support our country like good, law-abiding citizens!" Robin snorted.

"Well, that statement just made me lose any erotic interest. I think I'll go fill out some of those forms instead," Slade muttered.

"Come on, grumpy pants," Red grinned and gestured for him to join them. "Three is more fun, and don't you think Robin deserves a bit of a punishment for scaring us today?"

"I wasn't scared, just annoyed," the older man claimed stubbornly, but then got a special gleam in his eye. "But yes, there _should_ be a punishment…"

"Guys, stop, we just have time for a quickie, nothing fancy," Robin warned them.

"Exactly," Slade smirked and pulled Red out of Robin's arms and into his. "But what's to say that_ you_ get to join in?"

"What?" Robin's ears sank.

"Mmmhhh… I like having you all to myself now and then…" Red grinned at Slade. "Not too often, though… my ass wouldn't be able to handle it, but right now? Hell yes!"

"But-" Robin began as the other two men kissed and hurriedly got undressed.

The cat-boy's ears drooped even more as he continued to watch his two mates kissing and grinding against each other. It was hot, sure, but would they really not let him play? His hand found it's way to his crotch, though, caressing and squeezing his rapidly growing arousal. His mates seemed very focused on each other, but the more Robin watched, the hotter he got, until he was grinning and got his pants down. Watching was brilliant! He could see what was happening from every angle. Slade liked to just watch sometimes, and Robin had always wondered why, but he thought he understood now. Besides, it felt like his mates where his two personal sex-slaves, putting on a show, just for him. The cat boy grinned. Yeah, he knew why Slade liked _that_, all right…

"Fuck him harder, he can take it," he ordered his oldest mate, as he settled down on the bed himself, with a good view.

"Wait! Don't listen to hi- Annnggh!" Red grunted, his plea ending as the mercenary obeyed.

"That's a good boy…" Robin snickered and stroked himself faster. "Don't tell me you can't take it as hard, fast and deep as I can, Red?" he teased.

"Can… too!" the –mostly- former thief groaned. "Give me all you got, big guy- uunghh!"

Robin moaned himself as he watched and listened to his partners.

"I'm… so close…" he mumbled, spreading his legs wide and pushing two saliva-slicked fingers into himself. He _needed_ something there to come, something that stretched him, and even though his fingers were a poor substitute for one –or both− of his mate's cocks, they were just enough to push him over the edge.

He heard the others come as well and for a moment there was just panting sounding through the room.

"That was so sexy, kitten, you fingering yourself like that…" Red let him know.

"Hey, I was supposed to watch _you_, not the other way around!" the cat boy objected.

"Oh, we were _both_ watching… maybe we should let you come on your fingers more often?" Slade purred.

"No! Next time I want to come on your cock!" Robin stated.

"Very well, you may," the man smirked.

"Promise?" Robin smirked back and crawled up to him for a kiss.

"My lips are lonely too," Red X pointed out a moment later.

Robin laughed. "Fine, you'll get yours. Slade, clean up and get into the kitchen, you're on bottle duty… we'll be right there."

The man snorted good-naturedly and got up while the younger men made out. The kids would be up soon. Slade was glad the kittens weren't walking yet. He didn't look forward to the day when the door could open at a crucial moment. Not that he hadn't had a lock installed, but in the heat of the moment… and that day was approaching quickly, as the babies seemed to be growing by the day…

His chest filled with pride as he thought about his three children. He would probably be able to forgive them from being little cock-blockers. They were already experts in that field after all: waking up at the wrong times or randomly starting screaming or getting tummy aches… Not to mention that Robin had barely let them touch him for the first month after they were born. Not that they often had the energy to, anyway. Even _Slade himself_ had been bone-tired before they got a routine going.

Now, however, they were a well oiled machine. Mostly. Robin was the boss when it came to the kids, though, Slade had to admit. They were all very capable parents, but he had some kind of inner instinct that was seldom wrong. If it was only his advanced hearing, picking up the sounds of the children waking up before anyone else, or his sense of smell being able to tell if a diaper was full from a distance, or if it was something deeper, the man didn't know. But he had learned not to question it. He was the alpha of their little 'pride', but in these matters he happily obeyed his youngest lover.

On cue, exactly as the bottles were done, there was a little 'meep' from the nursery. That would be Alexandra, meaning Dominic was probably already awake, contemplating if he was hungry enough to cry.

"Mommy's coming!" Slade heard Robin call out, prompting Oliver to make his voice heard to with "mamamamamama!"

"Here you go," Slade said and tossed one of the bottles to Red, who caught it deftly and headed towards the cots.

"Who's turn is it to get boobies?" he asked.

"Bobo!" Oliver mimicked happily.

"We really need to start minding our language around them," Robin muttered. "And it's Dominic's turn. Come to mama, big boy!"

"I'll take you then, Ollie," Red told his son, "Because I know how fussy our princess gets if she's not with her papa."

"You're not fussy at all, are you Alexandra?" Slade asked and he plucked his daughter from the crib. "You just prefer more refined conversation, don't you? Have I ever told you about Flavius Aetius? He was a Roman general, now known as 'the last true Roman', and in the Battle of Catalaunian Plains-"

Robin chuckled as he tuned the man out and settled with Dominic in one of the three 'nursing chairs' as they had been dubbed: comfy, wide soft chairs with large padded arm rests. All three would most likely end up on the tip after the babies were completely on solid foods, as they were now rather covered in spit up milk…

He looked down at his son as the boy latched on to his nipple. The hero had still to come to grips with the fact that he had breasts, but they were actually not that noticeable unless he was naked… in a tight t-shirt even Slade's muscular pecs were more of a handful, which Red loved to point out. The memory of the thief running away after doing a 'honk-honk' maneuver on the mercenary still cracked Robin up.

He only nursed one every meal now, as they had gotten so big that it was hard to hold two at once, and they needed more milk too. This way at least they all had breast milk every day, and it was the favorite. Oliver was especially fussy with the formula, which Red was experiencing at the moment.

"Less talking, more eating, son," the thief sighed, as the young boy in his lap was holding one of his monologues again. Probably a speech against bottles, Robin guessed. Alexandra was smacking away, though, her turquoise eyes firmly locked onto her father's face. Slade was still mumbling some random historical facts to her. It was the man's way of cooing, the teens had discovered. He and Red had no trouble doing the baby-talk and weird whimsical noises and songs, but that wasn't really Slade's thing… Still, the babies loved his deep, calming voice and often fell asleep on his chest, all huddled together.

Robin gave his mates a loving smile, even though they were both too busy to see it. A mercenary and a thief and they were still amazing parents. Well, he should give himself some credit too; after all he was not only a cat hybrid of sorts −with all the difficulties that came with− but he was also just a teenager, really not ready for parenthood during normal circumstances. His circumstances were nowhere near normal, though… not only did they have money, Robin also had a job –of sorts- and an education… not to mention the instincts that had thrown him into the heat which had created these three little wonders.

He smiled down on his son again, who looked like he was nodding off.

"Nu-huh, don't' go into a milk coma now. You need to stay up and play for a while, because it's bath-time tonight!"

"Yes, and if mommy stays out of the room we can play with the duckies! He's afraid of them!" Red X stage-whispered to Oliver.

"Pft, they just look insane… and evil…" Robin snorted. "And don't leave them lying around this time, I don't want to trip on another one!"

"Mommy is noooo fun, is he?" Red grinned.

Robin snorted and shook his head before giving his lover a grin back. Family life really had its moments…

_To be Continued… _

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A/N: that's the first one… feelings? Reactions? See you tomorrow for the next! (unless you hated it, then I'll see you next year or so…)


	2. Monday, 2nd of December 2013

A/N: As I write this even before I posted the first chapter it's a bit weird, because I can't really thank you for reviews: I'm not sure I got any!... But if I did: thank you! I'm just going to go ahead and prepare a few more chapters for posting to make things easier on myself. Ta!

* * *

**Monday, 2nd of December 2013**

"Yes, Bruce, that would be great!" Robin smiled as he was talking to his guardian on the phone while tidying up in the kitchen. "I really would love to, but I have to talk to the others… and we have to figure out some details as well. Oh for the love of- Sorry, someone has committed murder in the nursery, judging by the screaming… I'll call you back? Great, bye!"

When he poked his head around the door, he found his whole family on the play mat on the floor. Oliver was bawling his eyes out, Dominic was looking grumpy, Alexandra was perfectly content, chewing on a plastic animal of some kind, and their fathers were respectively laughing and looking oddly proud.

"What is going on here?" Robin asked Slade, who was the proud looking one.

"You should have seen it," Red snickered while scooping up Oliver and bouncing him on his knee to calm him down. The baby was a happy-go-lucky one and soon whatever had happened was forgotten.

"Dominic had the red toy," Slade explained, "and when he put it down for a moment Ollie took it. He wasn't too happy about that, but did he cry? No, he took the blue one and threw it at him. Hit him right in the face too."

"And then Oliver dropped the toy and Alexandra took it."

"And you just laughed?" Robin sighed. "We do_ not_ throw things at others, Nick," Robin said sternly to his second born after sitting down next to him.

"No," Slade agreed and lifted his son high in the air. "But your father is still very impressed that you hit the target."

"And I'm proud of you for being so sneaky," Red told his own offspring.

Robin sighed and cuddled Alexandra instead. "And you just took advantage of the situation, didn't you? But why do I have the feeling that this was your plan all along?"

"Gaa baa!" Alexandra grinned toothlessly. Or?

"What was- Alexandra, sweetie, sit still… open your mouth for mommy."

"What, did she swallow something?" Slade asked, suddenly on high alert. "These are supposed to be safe toys!"

"No it's just that I thought I saw… yes! She's teething! Look!" There was a tiny hint of white on the bottom gum.

"Aren't they supposed to scream and be fussy when they are teething?" Red X asked.

"Not my girl!" Slade smirked proudly. A bit too soon as it turned out.

* * *

Two hours later and Alexandra was wailing. The sound was far beyond 'I'm hungry' or 'I'm wet' and not even Slade could seem to comfort her. And even worse: the two other children had slightly swollen gums as well, and were both a bit moody.

"Okay, chewing on things helps… cold things… teething rings…" Red was telling them from looking at stuff online.

"Leslie, is it normal for them to feel a bit warm? It's really teeth then? Not anything else? Could they come out wrong? Could they bite themselves? What about each other? How long does it last? Is this early or late to be teething? Should we brush them?" Robin was on the phone with Dr. Leslie, asking questions much faster than he could possibly get answers. "Yes, I know what the books say, we've_ read_ the books, it's just… are you sure the books are _right_?"

Slade, who was as ever a man of action, dressed his daughter, strapped her into a carry-cot and shrugged into his own jacket. "I'm going to the pharmacy. I'm taking the princess, she might like the change of scenery."

"There's supposed to be some kind of gel! And chew toys you can put in the fridge!" Red called out. "And pick up some lube too, we're almost out!"

"Teething rings and lube, yes that won't seem weird…" the man muttered.

"Keep her away from the sick people!" Robin called out as well.

"That's what I'm currently doing," the man smirked and left.

* * *

When Slade returned, the situation was a bit calmer.

"Well, we now know what the extra drooling was for," Robin said as he unpacked what the man had bought and started reading instructions.

"Extra drooling? Haven't they always been little drool-machines?" Red chuckled, as he was walking around the room with one baby on each arm.

"I've just noticed it more when I've been feeding them," the cat boy said.

"Yes, well… we would all be drooling at that sight," Slade chuckled and put Alexandra on the floor, handing her a teething ring.

"Yes, and that reminds me," Robin said and lifted his t-shirt, flashing his mates. "Say goodbye."

"Whoa- wait?" Red gaped. "Goodbye?"

"To my nipples. With these little predators getting teeth already, they are going to chew them off, I just know it."

"Poor nipples," Slade leered and bent over to give one of them a kiss. "We must make sure to bid them farewell properly tonight."

"_Very _properly," Robin grinned and pulled his shirt back down. "With whipped cream! Now, which of these goes in the fridge? Wait! I forgot about Bruce!"

"Oh, I forgot about him too, it was lovely. Thanks for reminding me," Slade snorted.

"No, he called and… guys… how does Christmas in Gotham sound?"

"In Gotham?" Red said. "I don't know-"

"Alfred's cooking," Robin cut in quickly.

"- of a better place to spend Christmas!" Red finished without missing a beat.

"Slade?" Robin turned his big blues on his alpha.

"I know you want to see them," the man almost groaned, "but-"

"They will babysit. A lot. Giving us some free time to… do whatever we want…?" the teen smiled innocently.

"Fine. When?"

"Well, a few days before Christmas at least? And we can go home after New Years? He said he could send his jet-"

"No. We'll drive."

"_Drive_? We can _hire_ a plane if you don't want to use his…?" Robin frowned.

"We have the van and we only use it a few times a week, so yeah, why not take a road trip?" Red said. "And their ears will pop on the plane, I'm sure of it."

"Besides, my reason was that we should go by New York. You wanted to see Nick and Nate again anyway, and there's another Ferocitas meeting on the sixteenth, remember? We were already thinking of going to that."

"We could still fly?" Robin, who thought a car trip with the triplets was a bit _too _adventurous.

"With the amount of shopping you will do at the show? If we have the car we could just put it all in there and not bother with it until we get back home."

"Remember all the baby clothes and stuff they had?" Robin's eyes twinkled. "And now we can buy things that actually fits them! And special toys! And books, and-"

"Maybe we should just go in_ two_ cars?" Red muttered. "Making one a truck?"

At that point Slade's phone rang. Robin continued dealing with all the new things the man had bought but couldn't help but listen to his side of the conversation.

"Where and how many? Fine. And how would you like him handled? I see. No problem, but that's ten thousand extra… Well, I said 'no problem' for _me_, not for_ you_… That is fine." The man glanced at his watch. "Half in my account first, and I'll check before I board. Good. Deal."

"Work?" Robin asked a bit tensely.

"The less you know…" the man said, heading towards their bedroom, while pulling his shirt off.

"You have to leave right now? When they're teething?" Robin objected.

"They will always be doing something, and I'll be back in eight hours or less," the man said from within the room. "And if you want to go shopping the money could be useful, you know…"

"Hey, I'm not a housewife from the fifties!" Robin objected. "If you're implying that I'm just sitting at home while you are the breadwinner-"

"It was just a joke," the man said as he returned in full uniform, sans the mask, which he was holding in his hand. "Do you really not want me to go?" he asked, tilting the droopy-eared cat's chin up.

"No… but I know you should…" Robin sighed and embraced the man. "Go out there and be all… _you_," he added with a chuckle. "But be careful, okay? I don't want to end up telling my children why they just have one daddy instead of two like all the cool kids," he added.

"Love you, kitten," the man grinned and kissed him deeply. A whirring noise from outside interrupted them. "That's my ride," the mercenary said and headed towards the door out to their roof garden while he checked his phone. "The payment is in the account, they work fast. I like that."

"Hey? No goodbye kiss for me?" Red huffed.

Slade, who was about to pass him, snorted and pulled him close too, kissing him while minding the babies in his arms. The boys then got a kiss each as well, and then Robin held out Alexandra too, so she wouldn't feel left out.

"You guys make it really hard to leave, you know that?" the man muttered as he kissed his daughter on the nose.

"Well, that's practically our job," Red grinned. "Have a nice time smashing people's faces in."

"I will," the man smirked and pulled his mask on.

Robin and Red watched as their lover walked out into the garden where a helicopter was hovering half way across towards the next building. Slade jumped, grabbed one of the landing-skids and swung himself up, through the open door.

"He sure knows how to make things look easy," Red grinned.

"Yeah…" Robin muttered, "but I_ still_ say he's leaving because of the teething-thing."

"Mama!" Alexandra said, and grabbed a firm hold of one of Robin's breast through his t-shirt.

"OOW! Yes, I guess it's dinner time… and it's your turn too…"

"I'll go heat up the grub," Red said. "Come on, boys, Daddy's gonna teach you how to cook!"

"Don't burn anything," Robin chuckled and went into the nursery to settle down with his daughter. "You are way too young to hear this, Alex, but… mind your teeth," he told her with a sigh.

* * *

The kids had been in bed for a few hours and Red and Robin were curled up in the sofa with a big bowl of popcorn, watching a movie, when Slade returned.

"Honeys, I'm home," he called out softly with a chuckle.

"You're not dead or seriously injured or covered in blood, are you?" Robin said, craning his head to try and see the man.

"Nope."

"Good, then come watch this horrible movie with us."

"How bad is it?"

"They just sent a rocket into the sun and it would survive because it had a 'heat shield'," Red let them know.

"That bad, huh?" Slade snorted as he began stripping down.

"Yeah, that bad," Robin snickered. "I should warn Bruce never to watch this one, he'd get a stroke."

"Is it available on DVD? I was thinking Christmas gift…?" the man smirked.

"You are going to play nice and bond over the babies," Robin told him firmly.

"We do. I actually like the man, I just also enjoy watching that vein in his temple throb."

"I'm sure he feels the same way about you," Robin grinned.

"Oh, about that… um… Christmas presents? Do we have to buy Bruce and Alfred some?"

"Of course we do!" Robin snorted. "But we'll figure something out to give them from all of us, okay? Photos of the kids are a given, I mean they _did_ give us all of those frames when they were born, and they said they expected a few of them back, so...

"Maybe we should take them to a professional photo studio?" Slade suggested. "Not that Red's half-face photos aren't nice and all.."

"I'd like to point out that we have a few hundred of your finger…" the thief snorted.

"They don't build cameras for a real man's hands," the mercenary let them know, holding them up as proof.

"You're just bit pathetic," Red smirked.

"Whoa, maybe not tease him when he's fresh back from a mission?" Robin warned the other teen. "You know how he gets when he's all full of adrenaline and testosterone and 'grrr, me big man, me show small men where my cock belo-' ooop!"

"I'll fuck him first, you'll get sloppy seconds," Slade informed Red, having swung Robin over his shoulder.

"But I was trying to defend you-oooohh…" The cat boy went limp and started purring as the man's hand came up and scratched the spot right above his tail.

"I'll bring the popcorn," Red snickered. "Good thing the movie sucked, huh, Robin?"

"Mmmhhmmrrrrrr…" was the only answer he got.

_To be Continued… _

* * *

A/N: that's number 2… all chapters will be at least 4 pages long, I THINK, so there are no SUPER-SHORT chapters like there has been in previous day-to-day Christmas stories.


	3. Tuesday, 3rd of December 2013

A/N: Enjoy! A little sunshine REAL cat story follows at the end...

oh... and Kitty Litter fanart for Christmas would be REALLY appreciated, if someone feels like it... would make this writer so happy! :D

* * *

**Tuesday, 3rd of December 2013**

"Do we _have_ to dress them in matching outfits?" Slade objected when he saw what Robin had laid out for their children to wear.

"It's for a _photo_, it's_ cute_ then! Otherwise it's creepy, yeah, but come on! Look at these! Little pullovers and bow ties! And Alexandra gets this dress in the same blue color, they'll look lovely!"

"Bowties are cool," Red smirked as he walked in. "But what, you got an appointment _today_? I thought the studios would be almost fully booked this close to Christmas!"

"I… um… yeah… um… Could you go get their hairbrush?" Robin asked, looking very embarrassed.

"What did you _do_?" Slade asked the teen, a little smirk playing in the corner of his lips.

"I… might have… said that they could use the photos in their window display…?"

"A studio having the three most famous babies in Jump, probably the whole state if not more, advertising their work? You probably got someone else bumped from their appointment…" the mercenary nodded approvingly.

"I didn't! They… they said a spot just opened up!" Robin objected, looking somewhat miserable.

"I'm very proud of you," his oldest mate said and kissed the top of his head. "I love it when you're evil."

"Me too," Red grinned. "Sneaky kitten."

"I didn't _mean_ to-" Robin said.

"Oh, drop the act, you're among friends," Slade told him.

"Well, alright. But I'm not proud of myself! Much…"

"That's my boy. So let's get the little hooligans dressed then," the mercenary told them and took the dress. "…How do you get this on?"

They eventually managed the feat and after putting some bibs on the babies as well, to catch the drool on the way to the studio, they packed themselves into the car.

"Are you sure you want to drive all the way to the East Coast?" Robin asked as they were pulling out of the parking garage. "Neither Red or I have a license… officially…"

"I need to get me one of those…" Red X said thoughtfully.

"Not in the 'I know someone' kind of way, I hope?" Robin frowned.

"What? Awww… I need to take some actual _test_?!" the thief complained.

"As you'll be driving my children, I'm bound to agree with Robin," Slade snorted, "and the trip won't be any problem. See; they are already asleep."

"Yes, but they aren't going to be asleep for _days_."

"I can get us there in under two," the man stated.

"No way, I won't let you drive nonstop," Robin snorted. "We have time, we'll take a few days, and you can drive in _daylight_, that's enough."

"Hear that Slade? Robin won't _let you_," Red snickered.

"I heard."

"So? Stop pouting about it. I'll make a road trip schedule," Robin decided. "Besides, we might want to stop somewhere on the way."

"Las Vegas?" Red suggested.

"I don't think so," the cat boy snorted.

"You're boring!"

"I'm _responsible_!"

"Same thing!"

"That's it, you're getting a dictionary for Christmas," Robin decided. "Besides, Vegas is too close to make an overnight stop."

"Just park outside a casino and give me ten minutes!"

"Fine…" Robin sighed. "We're going to have to stop for feedings and diaper changes anyway…"

"We're going to Vegas, baby!" Red called out to Slade, who gave him a flat stare. "You are _both _responsible," the thief muttered.

"Poor you," Robin grinned.

When they got to the studio they were warmly welcomed and introduced to their 'best photographer' and his two female assistants. After that they were shown into one of the actual studios. The babies were awake once more and taken out of their carry-cots, the bibs were taken off, they were placed on a sheep-skin rug, the light was adjusted and- they began to cry. All at once.

"No-no-no, mommy is right here, we're just gonna take some pictures of you! You want to take some pictures to give to grandpa, right?" Robin said desperately.

"Look at the doggy!" one assistant said and showed the kids a puppet in the shape of some sort of brown mutt. The crying turned into howls.

"Maybe a _dog_ isn't the best choice here?" Slade asked dryly. The kids weren't especially wary of dogs, unless they very big or barked a lot, but this one clearly freaked them out a bit.

The assistant turned red and switched to a bird. That worked wonders, but while wet cheeks were getting dried and the young toddler's faces returned to their more normal color, they got tired of the thing. More toys were brought out, however, and the photographer was ready. Just as the flash went off, Oliver sneezed, a long string of green snot leaving his nose. He then happily proceeded to try to get it in his mouth before Red had managed to dive forward with a tissue.

The flash itself had startled Alexandra, who started crying for her daddy, making grabby hands in Slade's direction, until the man caved –which took all of two-point-three seconds− and picked her up. That led the other two to wanting to be picked up as well, and there was another ten minutes before they could set them all down again.

"Shall we try again?" the photographer said, sounding just a _tiny_ bit weary.

"Yes, I- OH MY GOD! QUICK! TAKE A PICTURE!" Robin yelled.

"But I'm not-"

"TAKE ONE NOW! Look! She's crawling!"

And Alexandra was. She had decided to get back to her daddy, but Slade's eye was on her mom and that stupid man with the box, so she had to take matters into her own hands. It was easy to get a good grip on the sheep-skin, and she more pulled herself forwards than actually crawled, but to her parents it was a big moment. So big, in fact, that the poor photographer eventually had to cough and remind them that their time was running out.

After that, they finally managed to get the shots, although some had Dominic picking his nose and another one had Alexandra lifting her dress over her head, which, her father told her, was _not _aladylike thing to do.

"I'm sorry if we were a lot of trouble," Robin said as they were done.

"Oh no, we're used to these kinds of things," the man told him, his voice positively dripping of sweetness, which meant that what he _wanted_ to say was 'get your devil spawn out of my sight!'

"Let's go for some ice-cream!" Red suggested when he spotted a café across the street.

"Maybe we can give the kids a spoon of soft served each for their teeth?" Robin said, looking up at Slade. "It might cool them down a bit. Honestly, all that crying in there, it was probably because of the teeth, right?"

"Let's say it was, so we're not raising three noisy brats," Slade smirked. "Let's go then."

Soon Dominic was gaping enthusiastically and Alexandra was sucking on a plastic spoon. Oliver, however, refused to open his mouth.

"We need to start them more on solids… if only to save my nips." Robin added the last part quietly as the café was quite full.

The kittens had only tasted a few purees before now, with varying results.

"Sure, let Ollie starve to death," Red snorted. "It's a _spoon_, son, it won't bite you."

"If we just find something he likes," the cat boy sighed. Dominic was in the only high seat available, Alexandra was in Slade's lap and Oliver in Robin's although Red was feeding him as the angle was better.

"I'm just gonna eat it myself," the thief snorted and popped the ice cream in his mouth. "Mmmm…" he moaned. "Sooo ogoooood!"

"Awawawawaw!" Oliver exclaimed, his interest in the ice cream had suddenly been awaken and he reached out for the spoon.

"Want a taste now, do you? Well, maybe I won't give you any?" his father teased him.

"AAALALALALA! Mama!" the blue eyed boy seemed to be looking for a lawyer.

"Give your son some ice-cream or you'll have him crying in a moment," the hero sighed.

"Aha-ga!" Ollie agreed.

"Okay, here comes the big scary spooooon!" Red said and scooped up a little of the soft treat, putting it to the baby's lips. Oliver opened up and then Red chuckled. "His eyes just got really, really big," he grinned.

"Da-da!" Oliver said after swallowing, gesturing wildly.

"Can you say Ice cream? Ice cream?"

"Ikeam!"

"You're' gonna win the Nobel prize for cleverness!" Red said proudly and gave him another spoonful.

"Not with a father who thinks there _is _such a prize," Robin snickered and rolled his eyes.

"IKEAM!"

"Oh, dear, we might have created a monster here," the former Titan muttered.

"Wanna!" Alexandra suddenly exclaimed as well, surprisingly enough followed by a similar sound from Dominic.

"Or three," Slade deadpanned.

The kids only got a few spoons each, of course; their parents never intended to fill them on the stuff, but it was obvious that all three wanted more. Robin went to pay, as this place was fancy enough to serve at the table, and he left a generous tip, mostly because the waitress hadn't ogled them and only paid the kids the normal amount of attention. Many of the guests around them were craning their necks, some even had their phones out, taking photos or filming. The triplets were an internet hit whenever they were spotted, and this, after all, was a city that housed an alien, a cyborg, a half demon and a green shape shifter… A bunch of people with cat ears shouldn't really be that interesting! Although they were cute as hell, so…

"We need a changing room," Red X let him know, coming up behind him at the register.

"You can use the back office if you want, we let parents do that in emergencies," the cashier smiled.

"Thank you, could you show us the way?" Robin smiled back, and soon all six of them, including diaper bags, were hustled through a door past the kitchen and other areas until they reached the break room.

Two out of three needed changing, which meant that the third one wasn't far behind.

"Sometimes I wish you could just squeeze them," Red muttered, looking at Dominic who looked back innocently. "You're gonna go boom-boom in the car, aren't you?"

"He's a strategist," Slade proudly claimed and lifted his son up. "Aren't you?"

"Ba!" the boy answered seriously.

"I need to find a dumpster for these," Robin said, holding up the plastic trash bag with the used diapers, "can you take the kids to the car?"

"No problem," Slade nodded and put his son down in is carry-cot, buckling him in, before lifting both that and Alexandra's. "See you in a bit."

Robin was shown out into an alley and 'got rid of the evidence' as they liked to call it. He stopped and listened after closing the lid, but everything was quiet. He looked up the fire escape towards the rooftops high above, and felt the longing he had sometimes, of running across them again. He told himself that he could do that any time, but truthfully; if he didn't get as much sleep as he could, he wouldn't last a day with the kittens. Maybe, back in Gotham, they could leave the kids in Alfred's competent hands for a bit, and all three of them could have a whole night out there, on their own. Robin grinned at the idea and looked forward to the trip even more.

* * *

"Ah, it's nice to be home…" Robin sighed. "I can't believe people are still staring that much!"

"I'm not that fond of my face showing up everywhere either," Slade muttered.

"I second that," Red nodded. "I don't want to be recognized by the wrong persons at the wrong moment…"

"Then stop doing the wrong _things_," Robin smirked.

"I have! Don't look at me, look at him!" the thief said and pointed to the mercenary.

"I'm looking at the alarm-tag which is still on your jacket…" Robin said dryly.

"Aw, crap… but it was just a test! I've figured out how to deactivate them and I wanted to try it out!"

"Then why not remove it afterwards?" Slade asked dryly.

"Well… _that _part I haven't figured out, yet…" the younger man admitted.

"Oh, wow…" Robin sighed and shook his head. "Go change Dominic."

"You angry?" Red asked carefully, looking a bit crestfallen.

"No, but… if you get caught, Red…" the cat boy told him seriously. "Please don't do that again?" he added and took Oliver into the kitchen.

"I'll show you how to remove them later," Slade whispered to the younger man with a grin.

They spent the afternoon trying to coax Alexandra into crawling again, but the princess apparently though it was too soon for a repeat performance and refused to do anymore than bounce a little on her hands and knees.

_To be Continued… _

* * *

A/N: *sigh* starting to feed kids sweets… just the beginning of the slippery slope to sugar rushes and mayhem… Probably.

Real Kitten story!  
So about a week ago I started hearing a cat crying outside at night. I live in an apartment complex and MOST keep their cats indoors here, especially now since winter is coming and it's COLD. I went outside late one night and found the cat, a black and white one, who came up and wanted cuddles. We hung out a bit but there as nothing I could do, really, I imagined that it lived nearby. It kept coming back, though, and its howls were really loud so I couldn't help myself: I fed it. It gobbled the food down, but one meal a day was all I dared to give it (and could afford, really).

I started asking around. I went on facebook and got in contact with neighbors who had also heard and seen it but no one knew where it belonged. I called the police, the landlord, the local vet, I put up notes in all the buildings around here, I practically RAN after people in the streets to talk to them (they must have though I was some crazy Jehovah's Witness or something)... and I did that though I'm quite introvert and shy. But I was on a MISSION... ;) After 4 or five days I had enough: I brought it inside. I have two cats of my own, as many might be aware, as they have "guest starred" in my drabbles: My red house cat Ramses (who played Slade in a story) and my blue/white Cornish Rex Exit (who plays "Bunny" in the Terms universe). I'm also actually allergic to house cats, I just didn't know that when Ramses showed up. I didn't know how they would react but I THOUGHT I knew, and I was right: Ramses just desperately tried to be friends with the new cat, whie Exit spat and cursed and wanted it dead... ;) Still, it went quite well.

I had only seen the cat at nights, after the local vet had closed, but now I could take it there and so I did yesterday morning, to check if it was chip marked. It was! But the numbers were incomplete and they couldn't find a match in the register. Disaster. I also found out that the cat was a neutered boy, and I though it was a girl... I also thought Ramses was a girl when he first showed up, so I suck at looking at cat's private parts... ;) (to defend myself, Ramses was a feral kitten at first and I couldn't see much of him under the couch...)

So the search continued. Then, later that night, I searched the number series again at home, and just the last numbers. Bingo! I got a name and address. The cat was named Sotis (Sooty) and I got a hold of the owner's daughter. The daughter told me that er mother (the owner) was senile and got help around the house, and the cat had ran away when they opened the balcony door... but first she didn't believe me when I said I had found it, because he disappeared in May this year!

She asked if I wanted to keep him, but I (reluctantly) turned her down... the allergy, the stress for my boys... I have to think of them too... especially as Ramses has recently been sick and needs to recover in peace... she COULD take care of it, though, and will come by tonight to pick him up... so all is well in my little corner of the world. Probably talked and written to over a hundred people and organizations during the last week, but it got results! We can't give up on our furry purr-machines... ;)  
/The Cat Detective


	4. Wednesday, 4th of December 2013

A/N: I'm a language rebel! Well… just check out the bottom A/N…. ;)

* * *

**Wednesday, 4th of December 2013**

"… and we just can't figure out how they break in! It's like they're ghosts, man!" Cyborg complained. The Titans had all come by for a visit. Beast Boy and Starfire were down on the floor on the kid's play blanket with Oliver and Alexandra, who were both howling with laughter. Robin was relieved, because the night had been a tear filled one as their gums probably hurt again.

Dominic sat serenely in Raven's lap. The two of them had bonded over… well... being the calm, silent types, and the empath entertained the child by creating shapes in the air with her black energy.

"Pony," she said, making a small horse gallop through the air.

"Ony!" Dominic mimicked importantly.

Robin smiled at them and then turned his attention back to his worried former team mate.

"There's no security footage? Nothing?"

"All the cameras around the places are always destroyed," the metal teen sighed. "Sorry to bother you with this, but if you have any suggestions…?"

"Sure, I think I can help… not_ all_ cameras are official… or where people expect them to be…" Robin grinned.

"I see we have guests?" Slade said from the door.

"Hi kids," Red smirked just behind him.

The moment the thief and the mercenary came in, the atmosphere tensed. Robin didn't blame the Titans for being uncomfortable, but for the love of everything holy, they should have lightened up by now.

"Slade, I'm going to use your top secret spy network you think I don't know about, to help my former team out a bit, is that okay?"

"Perfectly," the man deadpanned. "I'll just go heat up some milk bottles, then."

"Slade _feeds _them?" Beast Boy whispered as the man moved to the kitchen area.

"No, he lets his children starve, BB," Robin sighed. He usually met the Titans away from home, and didn't always bring the kids, so they hadn't seen Slade and Red much with them, but that comment was a bit stupid.

"We change diapers too," Red said dryly, snatching a giggling Oliver up from the floor, "and we're _criminally_ good at it. Hey, green bean, why don't you change into a few animals for the babies? Have you ever seen a tiger, Oliver? That's a _big_ kitten! Yes, look!" he added when the hero obeyed. "Tiger."

"Aiger!"

Up until feeding time the kids got to see a lot of different animals, and pet them too.

"We should take them to the zoo!" Robin suddenly said. "They've never been."

"I'm not sure it will be as much fun as they can't ride_ those_ rhinos," Slade said dryly as he came back with the finished bottles. "Who's the lucky one this time?"

"Oliver is," Robin said after remember back to earlier in the day.

"Lucky one?" Cyborg asked and then his eye went very wide as Robin unbuttoned his shirt. "Oh!"

"You have a very pretty bosom!" Starfire exclaimed.

"Um… thank you," her former leader muttered. He had forgotten that they hadn't seen him breastfeed before. "They are teething now, though, so we'll see how long _that_ lasts…"

"Yes, you said something about that when we arrived… are they in pain? Maybe I can help?" Raven offered.

"Wow, could you? Just reduce the swelling or tenderness or something?"

"He means their gums now, not his boobs. We _like_ the swelling and tenderness of those," Red cut in to explain.

"Your father is a pervert, but that's how you came into this world so I forgive him," Robin told Oliver seriously as he placed him in a better position.

"May I also partake of the feeding?" Starfire asked.

"Yes, as long as you use a _bottle_," Slade told her and handed her one. Alexandra wasn't too happy about not being fed by her father, but the strange red headed girl was fascinating enough so she agreed to it grudgingly, especially as Starfire started cooing at her in Tamaranian.

After they were all fed and burped, Raven took a look at their mouths and gave them all just a tiny dose of healing magic.

"It won't last for more than a few days, but maybe the worst is over by then… or call me and I'll come right over," she said.

"Thank you, Rae!" Robin exclaimed and hugged the young woman, who blushed and looked a bit awkward.

"You are aware that he is going to call you every time they as much as scrape their knees, aren't you?" Slade said, but gave her a short nod of gratitude as well. He of course didn't like his children to suffer like this, and it was even more pointless when there was no _lesson_ to be learnt; if you break your arm after falling from a tree you need to learn to climb _better_, after all.

The Titans left soon after and Robin handed Oliver over to Slade.

"Here you go, I have some work to do."

"Fine, abandon your children," the man smirked.

"Excuse me?" Robin snarled with fire in his blue eyes, his tail swishing through the air. "You can leave for days and I can't go into the office for a few hours?"

"It was just a joke," the man defended himself.

"Yes, well, it wasn't funny! You have no more _'right' _to work than I do!"

"Please just say, 'you're right, honey'," Red sighed. "You know it's a sensitive thing to joke about, Slade."

"You're right, honey," the man echoed. "And you're right too," he added to Robin, with a little smirk. "Next time I get a mission you approve of, I'll take you with me."

"Wait, and leave me all _alone _with them?" the thief exclaimed. "You can't do _that_!"

"Maybe… just for a short one?" Robin, who missed the adrenaline rush, said hopefully.

"A week, tops."

"A few _hours_, tops," Robin corrected his oldest lover with a smirk. "I don't think I could handle you alone for a week without Red."

"Well, thank you."

"Not in that way. I'll be in the office, like I said. Come cry to me if you need help."

"Nah, you're totally expendable… Isn't he, Ollie?" Slade asked the tiny boy on his arms.

"MA-MA!" Oliver said and reached out, apparently not agreeing at all.

"Mama will be right back. You play with your daddies now, okay?" Robin smiled. "Bye, bye!"

"NO-no-no-NO BYE-BYE!"

"Heh, good luck with that…" Robin grinned, coldheartedly.

"We'll take them shopping for baby food, we said we'd pick some up," Slade sighed, knowing that would distract their little first-born. "Maybe we might even buy a little ice cream."

"Ikeam?" Three pairs of ears pricked up.

"Just a_ little_ in that case," Robin warned them. "My children will learn to eat healthy! And think of their teeth! Wait, do we have to buy toothpaste and toothbrushes? What did Leslie say again?"

"We'll ask someone at the store," Red shrugged. "Come on kiddies! Adventure time! We're gonna go broom-broom!"

"Boom-boom?" Oliver asked.

"Nope, you've gone boom-boom enough for today," his father laughed. "Save some for tomorrow, okay?"

"O-kai," Oliver grinned back.

"One would think I would fear what the combination Slade-Alexandra-Dominic would turn into in the future, but it's _you_ two I'm _really_ worried about," Robin sighed and shook his head.

"We're going to take on the world!" Red grinned.

"Fine, but for now, let's settle for the grocery store," Slade muttered.

"Ikeam!"

"Exactly," the man smirked. "He's goal oriented, that one."

"Dear god…" Robin muttered and headed to the office.

He and Slade shared a study. They didn't have to; there were more rooms available, but that would be a bit of a waste, because neither of them spent that many hours a week in there. It was located at the very far end of the huge apartment, which they had created by knocking through into all but one throughout the whole floor, making the layout a bit strange, but giving them enough space for the triplets once they were old enough to have their own rooms.

It was a smart move to have the office far away from the 'core' apartment, though; that meant whoever was working there could do so in peace. Slade also had a weapon's room close by, always locked behind a reinforced door, of course. No weapons of any kind were allowed in the rest of the house, that was a rule the man had set himself. Robin knew the kids would end up at a shooting range when they were old enough, to learn how to handle a gun, but he actually hoped they wouldn't have any interest in them. Still, he guessed it couldn't help to _learn_, if only as a sport.

Ha sat down, looked at the list of locations, date and times Cyborg had given him of where the crimes had been committed, and then got to work. He had already drawn a huge sigh of relief when he noticed that he knew for_ sure_ where both his mates had been on several of these occasions… he didn't want to find any nasty surprises on whatever material he might be able to obtain. He logged into Slade's server using the password he had discovered about a month back. He had happened to see –from a distance- when the man entered it and had noticed that he was only using the numeric keypad on the keyboard. That got him curious and he had tried to figure out the code, which didn't take long; it was the triplet's birthday. It was –to be honest- surprisingly simple for the man's brilliant, strategic mind but, to Robin, it was mainly endearing… and it helped him cope with what he found inside.

He stayed away from the case files and such, he still felt that 'the less he knew' the better… he hoped the man only did things that –at worst- could be considered in the gray area between good and bad, but that was more or less an unspoken understanding between them; nothing Slade had actually _promised_. And Robin didn't want to know. He loved the man, he loved Red and he loved their children. They were a family, and nothing would change that, but it would make him feel incredibly guilty if he knew that the man he loved was out there tearing other families apart. Families – or rather family_ members_− that _hadn't_ deserved it.

The thing was that he knew that he_ could_ give the man an ultimatum. He could even insist that he'd stop working with anything like that at _all_, but… he knew Slade. And he knew himself. Neither of them would be happy staying at home or having a 'ordinary' job for very long. Red X was different; he _liked_ the thrill, but he didn't really_ need_ it. He could get his kicks from playing videogames or something like sex, but for Robin and Slade it was different; it was almost like they were born with an adrenaline deficiency…

So yeah, he _could_ demand it, and the man would give that life up… and eventually Robin would lose him because of it. Slade would, most likely, end up going behind his back, or put himself in dangerous situations in other ways, and no; Slade in control, Slade picking the missions, knowing the stakes, _that _was the safest way, and the rest… the rest was just trust. Robin had a lot of trust in the man who had helped him through so much and stayed by his side through every crazy turn of events. Sometimes he wondered if both Slade and Red weren't nuts for not just bolting.

He was half an hour into work –searching for cameras which hadn't been destroyed by the perps in the area of the crimes − when his phone rang.

"Yes?" he just answered, seeing Slade's name in the display.

"We're in an aisle of baby food..."

"Probably a good start…?"

"One of _three_… where are the ones you bought?"

"I just picked some up! Banana and peach or something, I think… There was a baby on the label?"

"There are babies on _all_ the labels."

"How hard can it be, just choose a few cans!" Robin sighed. "Get something with fruit and something with meat."

"Some are chunky, we don't want those, right?" he heard the man mumble.

"No, just the puree kind."

"What do you think they will like?"

"How am I supposed to know? Pick something that sounds good!"

"I don't think they have anything whiskey flavored…"

"Very funny. Where is Red in all this?"

"He and the kids are acting as distractions for a pack of housewives… prepare to see some pinch-bruised cheeks."

"Oh, great, my children are going to smell weird…" Robin muttered, knowing that would kick his cat instincts into full gear.

"Sacrifices…" The man said airily. "Alright then, just smooth puree and you don't have any preferences, that's all I needed to check. I didn't want to be sent back."

"I wouldn't send you back!"

"Yes, you would."

"Yes, I would. Sorry."

"I like that you are particular when it comes to the kids… and everything else."

"Ah, good, so that's why you haven't thrown me out yet?" Robin grinned.

"That, and a few other things…" the man purred.

"What are you wearing?" the teen purred back.

"Get back to work, Robin." The man gave an amused snort and hung up.

About forty five minutes later Red popped his head around the door to tell him that they were home again. Robin had found something suspicious on the first of the crime scenes by then, but it wasn't really good enough to make out what was going on, so he kept on working. It took a lot of time, and almost two hours later he was again interrupted by Red.

"Alexandra is missing!" the current redhead yelled down the hall, and Robin was running down it within seconds.

"What do you mean she's missing?!" he asked.

"They were all sitting on their play mat, and I was making their bottles while Slade was on the can, and I turn around and… she's gone!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure she didn't steal the _car_…" Robin snorted. "She must have crawled again- oh god…" he stared at the door to their rooftop garden. Which was open.

"Oh, god…" Red repeated, going stark white.

"First you yell that you lost our child and now you all gone religious? What is this about?" Slade asked, coming into the room. He followed their line of vision as well. "Oh, god."

They all ran out onto the roof, which was walled in, of course, but the walls were not very high in places, making it easy for all of them to leave that way when they wanted to. This was something they would have to fix pretty soon, Robin decided.

After making sure she wasn't behind one of the potted trees or the garden furniture, Robin drew a deep breath and looked down over the lowest part of the wall. It was the single worst moment in his life so far, but − luckily − street life below didn't seem to include any child-sized splats.

"She must be indoors, come on," Slade ordered and they filed in again… only to see Alexandra back on the mat, playing innocently with a teething ring.

"Where did you _go_?" Robin cried out and lifted her up. "Look at your knees, all dusty!"

"She must have been behind the sofa," Slade concluded and checked. "Yes, there's just enough space here… damn kid," he added and took the girl from Robin's arms to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek. "You scared us, Princess."

Alexandra, meanwhile, was simply delighted with all of the attention.

"That's it, we're getting them collars with bells," Red muttered.

"It just proves that we soon need to watch them even closer and think about open doors and such," Robin sighed, plopping down on the mat himself, and slumped back onto the pillows surrounding it. "I have a feeling things will get just a bit more difficult from now on."

"Bells, I tell you! Or pens. Let's build pens."

Robin chuckled and pulled his boys close for a snuggle. Slade put Alexandra down in their midst as well, and the teen let his cat instincts take over as he sniffed each and every one of them carefully and then rubbed his cheek over them until they smelled like they should again after their trip to the store. All while doing this he was purring loudly, getting three tiny purrs in reply.

Slade and Red joined them with the warm bottles and not long after filling their stomachs, the three kittens and their mom were asleep in a big pile.

"Let's leave them like that for a bit," Slade said quietly.

"I'm getting the camera," Red grinned.

_To be Continued… _

* * *

A/N: Those of you who are inner editors might notice that I did not capitalize the word "god" in this chapter, nor will I. This is NOT my beta's fault, she pointed out the correct way to do it, I just decided to ignore it… you see, I fully believe that if "god" is used as a MERE EXPRESSION it shouldn't be capitalized, and I have SOME support in this online. To me "Oh God, I love you!" and "Oh god, I love you!" are two very different things. If the character didn't MEAN to invoke the name of a deity there's no capital letter (that is, if it could be switched with , "oh shit!" or "oh damn" or "oh dear" or something of the sort.

But again: it's not, strictly speaking, CORRECT… but give it 10 to 20 years and I'm pretty sure it will be standard… ;)


	5. Thursday, 5th of December 2013

A/N: NOW I can say thank you for the reviews, because now I knew I got some! ;) Thank you! I'm preparing a new batch of chapters at the moment, like this one, so I'm off to do that… longish chapter ahead…

* * *

**Thursday, 5th of December 2013**

Robin woke up early, but he did it of his own accord and not from the sound of crying through the baby monitors, or someone getting up, so that was nice. He couldn't remember going to bed, but then he recalled falling asleep among the pillows and smiled as he realized that Slade must have carried him here. Then he noticed that he was completely naked, and let out a little chuckle. Damn perverts. He got on his hands and knees and stretched –like the cat he was- and was then going to sneak out of bed quietly, as his mates had been nice and let him sleep for so long.

Then, however, he noticed Slade's face, or rather his lip. The bottom one protruded, just slightly, as the man breathed through his mouth in his sleep, and Robin could_ not_ help himself He took it gently between his own lips and gave it a little suck.

"Hmmff…"

"Morning," Robin whispered. "Sorry… go back to sleep, I'll deal with the kiddies."

"They awake?" the man asked sleepily, making Robin want to kiss him again. And more. Slade's voice first thing in the morning was just irresistible.

"No, they will be up in about ten, I think…"

"Sure you don't need help?"

"You'll hear if I do," Robin smiled and nodded at the monitor. He then glanced over at Red, but the other teen had buried himself below the comforter and was all but invisible, so no good morning kiss for him. Besides, that would mean waking them both up… which was kind of silly as he hadn't meant to wake any of them. Slade would most likely have woken up anyway however, even though the man −in certain situations− could sleep through anything.

Robin got up, threw on some pajama pants, quickly fixed two bottles and tip-toed into the nursery, just in time to swoop up an Oliver who was about to let the world know that he was awake. As the boy got a bottle in his mouth, though, he didn't wake his siblings, and Robin had just finished feeding him when Dominic began to stir. Unfortunately, Alexandra wasn't far behind, but the teen fixed that by sitting the girl up in her crib, pulling a nursing chair right up against it, and breast feeding Dominic while just holding the bottle up for Alexandra. She took a hold of it herself, but Robin never let go completely. All three kids, especially Dominic, _could _hold their own bottles, which was _very_ early if they had been human babies, but the teen only let them do that sometimes, and only when they were sitting up steadily. Soon enough they would be feeding themselves, and these kinds of special moments would be over.

"Morning. Private Red reporting for diaper duty!" A sleepy but cheery voice said from the door.

"Private Red is first to report to my lips, I owe you a good morning kiss," Robin grinned and managed to give him one, while still keeping track of the feeding.

"Nice, but how so?" the other teen grinned.

"Ah, I couldn't help kissing Slade before, and you were playing hide and seek, so…"

"I wasn't aware that we were keeping score, because I think I owe Slade like a thousand kisses in that case."

"Well, you two _were_ together before_ I_ came into the picture…" Robin pointed out.

"That just means we owe you _fucks_, not kisses," the teen shrugged, reminding the hero that the kind of relationship he had had with the mercenary hadn't exactly been _romantic_.

"What are we discussing, because it sounds strange?" Slade asked, walking in.

"I'm afraid I'll have to make out with you for a while," Red told the man.

"Sounds horrible," Slade deadpanned. "But I guess I have to let you, unless there's a way out of it?"

"I love you guys…" Robin sighed happily –if a bit randomly– but it was just these kinds of situations he _did_ love; the light bickering, the flirting… the caring. They all had different ways of showing it, but all three of them cared about each other; they were a true trio, not just Robin's personal harem.. although that thought was kind of nice too…

"I like that look in your eyes, kitten, but maybe it's not appropriate for right now?" Slade leered at the teen and took over Alexandra's feeding.

"Darn you, cock-blockers," Robin jokingly muttered at his children. "Ah! I forgot! The videos, I have to get back to work!" he said as Dominic let go of his nipple with a wet sound. "Are you done, sweetie? Not hungry anymore?"

"We'll cover things here, just remember to grab some breakfast," Slade said.

"Um, actually… I'm heading out for a bit, if that's okay?" Red spoke up.

"What for?" Robin blinked.

"That's a surprise," the thief grinned back.

"Fine, just don't get caught," Robin muttered.

"It's nothing illegal, it's just the opposite!" Red snorted. "But I don't_ have_ to go today, if you need help, Slade?"

"I'm a strategist, I think I can handle three children for a few hours," the man snorted. "So, troops! Looks like it's just you and me this morning. Boys, you sister can already crawl, you should be ashamed of yourselves! Report to baby boot camp immediately!"

Oliver and Alexandra were already laughing loudly at their father's 'military voice', which they knew meant play time. Dominic looked thoughtful and then nodded with a short "Da!"

"And he already speaks Russian too," the mercenary said proudly.

Robin went to the kitchen to get a sandwich while Red stayed behind to help out with the morning diaper change before leaving. The hero then headed to the office and while he worked he kept one ear angled towards the hallway. He wanted to make sure he'd pick up any signs of catastrophes, but nothing but the usual angry cries of protest, when something didn't go the kitten's way, was heard.

Slowly the case began unraveling in front of his eyes, and just before lunch he was able to call Cyborg with the news.

"There's four of them. They use slingshots for the cameras, but this is the amazing part: they seem to have some kind of tool that can take a piece of wall out and then put it back, without a trace!"

"They must have stolen it somewhere," his former team mate said. "Can you send over any pics?"

"Yeah, I'm sending what I have as we speak, but I don't think they stole it… news would have gotten out… and it looks too good, too sleek, to be home built… I think you should look into companies that might experiment with these things and you will find both the tool and the criminals within those walls... and don't forget that it might not be the inventors, it might just as well be the maintenance crew taking the thing for joyrides at night."

"We'll check it out, thanks man!"

"Any time," Robin smiled and ended the call.

He got up from the chair, stretched, massaged his poor rump which wasn't used to sitting down this long, and worked out a kink in his tail before he was ready to face family life again.

Family life, it turned out, consisted of three toddles lined up and their father kneeling a little bit away, trying to make them crawl to him.

"How is the boot camp going?" Robin laughed.

"These are the laziest recruits I've ever seen," Slade sighed. "But we're ready for lunch. I was thinking we should try some of the jars?"

"Yeah, just one meat and one veg or fruit. They will probably just eat a mouthful or so each at best. We should do it once a day at least now, though… we've been lazy."

"Well, bottles and breast milk usually makes less of a mess, but yes they need the training. I'll go prepare it. You're on diaper duty."

"Oh, thank you dear!" Robin groaned. "Okay, who's the worst culprit?"

"Ma-ma!" Oliver called out and raised his arms.

"I should have guessed…" Robin chuckled. "Slade, keep an eye on Alexandra too, will you?"

"She hasn't moved all morning, it shouldn't be a problem."

When Robin came back with a newly changed Oliver, Slade was on his hands and knees under the table.

"What..?" the teen asked.

"She's gone again."

"Alexandra!" Robin called out, and a moment later they heard a giggle from behind a chair.

"You little brat," Slade muttered and fetched her.

"Maybe Red wasn't far off about bells…" Robin grinned. "Speaking about him, where is he? He's been gone all morning!"

At that moment the door front door opened and slammed shut.

"Speak of the devil…" Slade said.

In stomped a pissed off teen, who threw himself down into a chair and tossed some envelopes on the table. "I picked up the mail," he muttered.

"What got up your a- what made you so upset?" Robin quickly amended.

"Do you have any idea how long the lines at the DMV were today?!" Red whined.

"Oh, you went there? How long will it take to get your license?" Robin asked as he put Oliver in one of the three high seats at their large kitchen table and handed him a toy to occupy himself with.

"I'm not. They wanted forms and a thumb print and… Well, I still only have a fake ID and leaving finger prints? No way, that's a _bad_ idea…"

"Oh… well I didn't realize it would be tricky…" Robin said. "I mean, I haven't bothered because I'm only over eighteen on my 'Robin' ID… and underage drivers need a guardian to sign the application and such… argh… it's just too much to deal with right now." His age had been 'bumped up' to adult for all kinds of legal reasons… from him being a parent to being in a –clearly– sexual relationship. All this had been done under the table as both a special favor to the heroic symbol of the city that Robin was, and… well, Slade had probably had some contacts involved as well. Robin didn't really feel good about all of this, but it was necessary to keep their family safe… and to do that, he'd happily lie to the _president_.

"Yeah, I didn't think it would be that difficult either," Red muttered. "I thought I could just take a test or two and that would be it…"

"We'll take care of it," Slade decided. "But neither of you are going to get a license until I'm absolutely convinced you know what it takes to get one. That means you will take both a written and a practical test."

"I feel some studying coming on," Red groaned. "I've been driving for _years_! And so has Robin! Mostly on his motorcycle, but still…"

"I'll buy the books!" Robin said happily. He knew Slade wouldn't let them get away with anything, so although the licenses wouldn't be legal in the traditional way, it made him feel safe, so he ignored the redhead's grumbling.

"That can wait, we still have two kids who needs changing and then there's lunch. I made pasta for us and one banana, one beef with broth for the kittens." Slade said. "Hurry up before everything gets cold."

"Yes, Sir!" Red saluted and he and Robin grabbed one child each and hurried off to the changing tables in the nursery.

Soon they were all sitting around the table, more focused on the kids than their own plates.

"Come _on,_ Ollie, it's almost like ice-cream?" Red tried, poking at the child's lips with a plastic spoon filled with banana mush. "Look it's _good_!" he said and put the spoon in his own mouth.

"Oh, dear _god_, _how_ did they mess up _banana_?!" he groaned as the taste apparently wasn't all that amazing.

"Look happy, Red!" Robin hissed, and the other teen tried to smile.

"Mmmm! Yummy!" the thief added between clenched teeth.

The beef puree didn't look much better, but the kids actually took to that, especially Dominic.

"Well, they are half cats, cats only eat meat after all," Robin, who also preferred meat and fish now-a-days, nodded.

"Fruit and vegetables can't hurt, though," Slade said and scooped some spilled food from Dominic's cheek.

"Probably not... hey, I'll call Nick and Nate later, I hope they are coming to the Ferocitas show… oh, and we need to start planning for the car trip! And I have to call Bruce and Alfred! And…"

"There is still time," Slade said calmly.

"Well, we don't even know when we're leaving yet!" Robin objected. "There's so much to plan…"

"You're nursing a semi right now, aren't you?" Red muttered dryly.

"Just because I_ like_ planning-" Robin began but then Slade put a hand on his neck, squeezing gently.

"Lunch first. Alexandra has been looking at that spoon you keep waving in front of her face for quite a while now."

"Oh, sorry, sweetie, but we're going on an _adventure_!" Robin grinned and finally let her eat.

The kids all spit food out randomly, Dominic slammed his whole hand right onto the plate making puree fly everywhere, and Oliver thought some banana would do wonders for his hair, it seemed, as he smeared a lot into it. That meant that bath time came right after lunch today, leading to three soaked parents.

They all then took turns watching the now happily playing trio while the others changed and cleaned up a bit themselves, and then Robin video-called Nick and Nate on his laptop. Fortunately they were home, and so, the teen heard, were their four children. Nick, the traditionally colored tiger, who was their 'mother', was the one who answered the call.

"Robin! I hoped to hear from you soon! You're coming to the show, right? Please?"

"Yes, we are! We're spending the holiday in Gotham, so we might stay overnight if we find a decent motel."

"Motel? You're staying with us of course! As long as you want! There's plenty of room! I'll let Cecilia know. Do you know when you'll be here?"

"Thank you, that would be great! And no, we'll be driving –Slade's idea− and I haven't really started planning yet… but well before Christmas, anyway."

"Hi Robin!" Nate suddenly showed up in the frame. The large, gorgeous white tiger with icy blue eyes always made Robin's heart skip a beat. He couldn't help it, and it was only for a second.

"Hi! who are you holding there, Lucy or Alice?" Both the little girls were white tigers, whereas the older twin boys were one of each.

"This is Lucy. Say hi to uncle Robin, sweetheart," the man said and the child waved.

"She's so big! I can't believe they are already over one…" Robin sighed. "That means your boys are… four years old now?"

"Yup, going on five. And yours are five months, right?"

"Yes… wow, they turn five months tomorrow!" Robin realized and took the laptop over to them. "Aren't they precious?"

"Aw, they really are! I want a baby!" Nick sighed happily.

"I think I'd better get neutered before your next heat sets in…" Nate muttered.

"Alexandra has started to crawl and we're trying out more solid food now… oh, that was what I was going to ask about, they only seem to like the meat…? Is that normal?"

"Oh, that's fine, don't worry about it. Chris only wanted mango for _weeks_ for some reason, and Travis refused anything that wasn't meat… as long as they still get the milk a bit of vegetarianism isn't bad for them… not like with actual cats. So just eating meat is no problem either."

"Oh, good," Robin smiled. There were still a lot of questions popping up now and then about what made Ferocita-children different from full human ones and it was good to have people to ask, especially as Nick and Nate were cats too.

They chatted about the kids, the show and everything until the children on both sides of the line demanded their attention. Robin promised to call back with more details as soon as possible, and tended to a crying Oliver who was feeling a bit peckish after having spat out most of his lunch. Only when something sharp on the boy's gums scraped his nipple did Robin remember that he needed to look up infant dental care as well. He sighed and leaned back against the sofa where he was sitting on the floor. So much to do… not that he needed to do all of it, but still… like Red said; he liked planning things.

As he still had his laptop he goggled the question and then sent Red out for special washcloths and soft baby tooth brushes, letting him know that no toothpaste was needed just yet.

That done, he called up Alfred.

"Hello Master Robin, Master Oliver," the old man smiled. "I hope you are calling with good news regarding the holidays?"

"Hopefully," Robin grinned. "We'll be there. We're just going to visit the Ferocitas show outside New York first and stay with Nick and Nate, and then we'll be right over. We're driving."

"Driving? But-"

"Slade's idea," Robin explained again,. He wasn't sure _why_ the man insisted on driving but he _did_ like to be in control so the teen suspected it was something like that, and prodding wouldn't lead to any real answers anyway.

"Well, you are all very welcome! I'll prepare your rooms! You don't have to bring anything, we'll have a nursery set up!"

"Aw, don't wear yourself out, Al!" Robin said. "But it's great that we don't need to bring any travel cots, they can sleep in their carry-cots for the trip anyway… Is it okay if I order diapers to be delivered to the mansion too? They _can _wear regular ones, but the ferocita diapers with room for the tail is so much better…"

"Of course, of course. Is there anything in the food department I should order?"

"Oh, yeah, we've just started them on more solids… I don't think brands will matter, but puree and heavy on the mean… and a bit of i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m."

"Ice-cream?" the butler blinked.

"Ikeam?" Oliver immediately piped up.

Robin sighed. "Yes… some of that."

"Ikeam?"

"Yes, sweetie, we'll get you all some after dinner, alright?" Robin smiled at his son. The boy might have not really understood the words, but as it didn't sound like his mother was saying 'no' he smiled back happily. "Oh, and they are teething!"

"Already?" the old man asked. "Then I'll make sure to have some teething rings and things at hand!"

"Thank you again, Al, you're an angel," Robin said. "Bruce is at work, I gather?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so, but I'll tell him you called."

"Yes, do… and try to stop him from calling here demanding that we should fly? It won't put Slade in a good mood…"

"I think I might keep the details of your travels close to my chest as long as possible, the man said, his eyes glittering.

"You are very wise," Robin smirked. "I'll call back in a few days, alright?" he added and they said goodbye.

Slade had finally gotten around to the mail and after putting a few bills to the side to be paid later, he opened a more official looking envelope. He read it, grinned, calling Robin and Red –who was now back from the drug store around the corner– over.

"What is it?" Robin, still with Oliver on his arm, asked and saw the letter in the man's hands. "Is it bad?"

"No, I wouldn't say that… We are now all, officially, Wilsons," the man said and showed them the letter. As the children needed a last name, Robin didn't officially 'have' one, and Red refused to have anything to do with his, Slade had –soon after the children were born—offered to let them all use his. Robin liked the idea of them all having the same last name, but caring for the triplets had meant sending in the paperwork had taken some time. Especially as they couldn't move through the 'regular' channels. Still, it _had_ to be official, no back alley fake ID's, so they had turned to some rather powerful government employees. The same government that, they had reminded them, both Robin and Slade had done some rather large favors for now and then.

"A letter from the governor was included; it says that we should take all these documents to the city hall and we'll all get new official papers. Including the kids," Slade said as he, inhumanly fast, scanned through the text.

"We need to celebrate this! And the kids turn five months tomorrow!" Robin said.

"Ikeam?" Oliver suggested.

"You wouldn't rather have a social security number?" Slade asked him, but the baby didn't seem impressed with that.

"I've already promised him some after dinner. He just had a snack," Robin sighed. "But-"

Slade suddenly looked down and grinned. "Hello princess!"

Alexandra had, again unseen, crawled over to them. The man picked her up and told her what a good girl she was. "How about we celebrate by going to the zoo tomorrow?" he suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Robin grinned. "Let's see, we need to find out their prices, when the shows and feedings are, where the changing rooms are... If were' going to make a day out of it we need to bring formula and-" the teen seemed to be ticking things off an internal checking list while his two mates shared a look.

"Should we just leave him to it?" Red sighed.

"I think that is for the best. I have a phone call to make to city hall and maybe we can get this rolling today," Slade said and then sniffed the air. "But first it's time for a diaper change, I think, Princess?"

Alexandra only giggled and then began talking to her father animatedly, although it was impossible to know about what.

Robin sat down with the boys and the laptop, making sure the computer was on the coffee table, away from grubby, curious hands. He found the website for the local zoo, which was on the outskirts of Jump. It was actually quite big, so they could easily spend the whole day there, and Robin jutted down a few times they might want to keep if possible, like the feeding of the large cats.

Oliver was chatting away with Dominic in the meanwhile. The dark haired boy made one or two comments on his own, but otherwise only seemed to listen contently. Robin had to wonder if this was just part of their development or actual personality traits showing themselves already. He smiled at them in between taking notes. They were so adorable. He knew _all_ parents thought that, but _his _really _were. _He grabbed a tissue from his pocket –he always had them stuffed full nowadays− and wiped the drool from Oliver's chin after jutting down some last details.

Slade then settled down with all of them to read a story, while Robin cooked dinner and Red cleaned up and put a load of laundry in the machine. Housework was something they had stopped bickering about a long time ago; the place had to be clean, they all had to eat, they all needed clean clothes, and no one wanted to –or could– do_ all_ the work. It helped that they had an open plan kitchen/living room because that way they were still mostly all together and could talk while they worked.

After dinner, and the promised ice cream, they packed themselves into the car for a somewhat quick trip to the mayor's office where they were promised that they would get their new official documents within a week. Slade insisted on driving licenses for all of them as well, although he told the teens sternly that he would hold onto theirs, until they had passed the tests. Robin had no idea who's fingerprints would be used for the records, but he was sure the government had its ways…

The day ended with another crawling boot camp where Oliver made great progress and Dominic at least pushed himself forward on his stomach a bit…

_To be Continued…_

* * *

_A/N: _I never understood why parents just don't stay stuck at their house 24/7 because everything else seems like such a chore... ;)


	6. Friday, 6th of December

**A/N: **Zoo time! I wrote this shortly after being at the zoo with my friends and their kids this summer… damn, time passes quickly…

* * *

**Friday, 6th of December 2013**

The zoo didn't open until ten so there was plenty of time to prepare what they needed for their day out in the morning. When they were done it was still too early to leave so Slade read to the kids again, while Robin started working on their travel route. How many hours a day should they drive? Which road was safest? Fastest? Where could they stop for the night? The better kind of motels were his first choice; they were right next to the road and meant less hassle than many hotels… them being three adults and three kids might cause some problems, though, as they would need a family sized room… maybe they had to rent two in some places. Ah, well, it would sort itself out, he was sure. The kids would be comfy in their carry cots. They had new ones which doubled as car-seats, as they had discovered that the stroller, the carrycots and special car seats were just too much to handle. Robin wished the cots could attach to a wheelbase as well, and used as a stroller, but the one they had gotten from Bruce and Alfred as a present was simply too good to replace.

"And the blue cow said…?" Robin heard Slade read.

"Mooo!" Alexandra answered a smidge before the other two.

"Good. Do you know that you get milk from cows?" Slade asked his children.

"Milk?" Oliver blinked. "Milk!" he repeated and pointed to Robin.

"Yes, you little glutton, I'm a walking milk dispenser," his mom muttered.

"Cow?" Dominic asked seriously.

"Moo?" Alexandra filled in, and then all three kids started laughing.

"I think they all just made fun of me…" Robin snorted, but couldn't help from joining in either.

"Let's move on before_ I_ start thinking about your mother's milk…" Slade leered and turned the page. "The blue cow met the pink chicken, who said….?"

"Dada!" Alexandra said and then pointed to the blue cow. "Mama!" She pointed at the small, pink chicken. "Dada!"

Robin was almost dying from laughter while Slade huffed. "I'm not sure I like this choice of literature anymore…" he muttered. "Tell me again why we can't read Kafka to them?"

"Because I want them to grow up somewhat normally?" Robin giggled, quite red in the face by now.

"Why are you having so much fun while I'm in the laundry room?" Red asked them when he came in with a load of freshly washed and folded clothes. "What's going on?"

"Alexandra just called Slade a chicken," Robin explained between laughing and gasping for breath.

"She's lucky she's his princess," Red grinned.

"Now, what does the chicken say...?" Slade groaned, struggling to get back to the story. "Oliver?"

"Ikeam?"

* * *

When they arrived at the zoo all kids had had a little snack, were changed, and seemingly happy. It was Friday and quite a lot of people, even though the holidays were far away yet.

The first thing they reached was the children's petting zoo. The animals might not be that exotic, But Slade felt he had he had a point to prove.

"Look. Chicken," he said, pointed to a cage where a few of them, of some kind of weird breed, strutted around.

"Moo!" Oliver piped up.

"No, Ollie, the _cow_ says moo," Robin smile. "Look! There's a cow!"

"How is he supposed to know that thing is a cow, it's not blue," Red pointed out.

The kids were all in their stroller, but they lifted them out of them now to go into the petting area which was set up as a barnyard with small goats, sheep and pigs.

When Robin entered, however, some of the animals sniffed the air and seemed nervous. The only one he could get close was a sheep so old that it looked like she had given up on moving a long time ago. Dominic still petted her solemnly, however, and said "Baaah!"

"Yes, that's right! You're so clever, sweetie. That's a sheep, and sheep goes 'baaah'."

"That is really impressive!" Robin heard a voice say, and turned towards it to find what he assumed was a mother with her three or four year old daughter.

"Ah, thank you…" he said carefully.

"Are you aliens?" Her voice was very frank, but not unfriendly, just curious.

"Um, no, just… meta humans," Robin said, as the Ferocita community was a 'hidden' one, and they never mentioned them.

"I see! I'm visiting my sister here for a few weeks, and she said there were a few of you people around these parts. How old is he?"

"Five months today," Robin smiled proudly, deciding to ignore the 'you people' thing.

"Oh wow, and so small and still can talk already? That's precious!"

"Oh, they only know a few words," Robin smiled, not wanting to brag. Well… that wasn't true; he loved to brag about his kids, but still.

"They?"

"Yeah, we have three. Triplets."

"Oh, and where is their mother?"

"Um… I am."

"Oh… you... you are? But… Oh… I guess you can be half other things too, right?"

"Um… yeah."

"Are the kids that too?"

"Are the kids what?"

"Well… you know… half male, half female?"

Robin blinked. He had no idea! If any of the boys had 'the parts' they should be there now, but no one had, of course, checked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I offend you?" the woman interrupted his thoughts. "Me and my big mouth, I-"

"No, no, not at all, it's just that… we actually haven't checked that. Thank you, we should keep that in mind…"

"Oh, I see. I thought it would be kind of obvious if- Sorry, sorry, it's too personal."

"Yes, a bit…" Robin smiled and blushed. "I think I better get out of here now, before I scare the animals even more. I had no idea they might be startled."

"We'll take over petting that poor old sheep, then, she seems harmless enough," the woman smiled. "Have a nice day, now!"

"You too!" Robin waved. "Say bye-bye, Dominic."

"Ay-ay," the baby said and put the hand he had just petted the animal with in his mouth.

"You couldn't wait to do that until I had wiped your hands off?" Robin sighed.

Slade and Red soon joined him outside the pen.

"What happened in there? We almost got stampeded by tiny goats," Red asked as he put Oliver back in the stroller.

"The animals smelled me, I think…" Robin frowned. "I hope all of them won't be this skittish…"

"You smell fine to me," Slade hummed and kissed his neck.

"Oh, stop it! People are looking!" the teen giggled. "Come on, let's see if we can find some cats!"

And cats they found. Quite a large variety of them, in fact, but first they entered the Siberian tiger exhibit and they all became awed. There was only glass between them and the large enclosure where they could spot a few tigers resting on boulders in the distance. Right next to the glass was a low ledge, like a bench, and Robin and Red took a seat there, with one kid each, while Slade crunched between them, holding Alexandra up so she was standing, her hands against the glass. They were pointing and talking about the animals. Not many people were around as the tigers were rather far away and therefore deemed 'boring', but the family decided to at least rest their feet a little.

"At! At-at-at-at- ig at!"

"Yes, big cat!" Robin grinned at Oliver, just guessing what some of the babbling might mean.

Robin didn't think the animals could actually hear them, not clearly at least, but suddenly one of them raised its head and looked right at them. Robin felt his ears lowering a little and he looked away. For some reason it was hard to meet those eyes.

"It's coming over," Red whispered, and yes, the magnificent cat had gracefully leapt from its resting place and was ambling towards them, seemingly focused on their particular window.

"Hi-hi!" Alexandra waved.

The beast came tight up to them, even taller than the kneeling Slade, and pawed at the glass right at the little girl's hands. It seemed to make a huffing sound and then butted its head against the glass as well.

"It's saying hello!" Robin realized. "The tiger is saying hi to you!"

Now Ferocitas, at least as far as he knew, had no 'powers' of any kind; they couldn't communicate with animals for example, but it made sense that they could read their own family of animals better than anyone else, and Robin himself bumped his head against his mates and children on a daily basis. It was just very strange to see a cat as large as this one do the same thing.

Soon there wasn't just one tiger there, but all of them, curiously peering at the strange family on the other side of the glass. In the end some zookeepers came to see what was going on and were equally fascinated by the animal's behavior.

Eventually the kids got a little fussy and they decided to move on, but the same thing happened at every large cat exhibition. Even the rather reclusive Snow leopard came as close as it could and sniffed the air.

"I think this one is Oliver's favorite," Robin smiled fondly at the boy who was jumping up and down in his seat, even pulling himself forwards as far as his safety harness would let him. Soon after the boy saw something else he liked.

"IKEAM!" he yelled so loudly that the leopard decided it had had enough of humans today and gracefully jumped up on a cliff before slipping out of sight. Oliver didn't notice as he pointed to a couple children with ice cream cones. "IKEAM, IKEAME, IKEAM!"

"Men," Robin sighed, but straightened up as he addressed his mates. "We have reached a fork in the road. Should we be good parents and not give in to our child's pleading for sugar, or should we be bad ones and do?"

"IKEAM-IKEAM-IKEAM!" Oliver still went on, and now Alexandra joined in too.

"Does the 'good parent' option come with that noise, because in that case I vote for the 'bad parent' one," Red said.

"We _are _celebrating?" Slade said, as he would never admit to giving in and therefore needed a loophole.

"Fine, bad parents it is. Let's get the smallest serving there is and three spoons.

"How 'bout a big serving and six spoons?" Red grinned.

"There's no use getting those teeth, kids," Robin told them. "They will be rotten to the core before they are even big enough to brush."

Oliver was very, very happy ten minutes later, though. He was also very, very sticky, but so were all of them, including the adults.

"Does anyone know how much he actually ate?" Red asked.

"Nope, but I know I'm happy that I packed a change of clothes," Robin said. "And I bet it's time for a diaper change too."

It was, so the three of them went in search of a changing room, which they found… only it was inside the ladies' toilets.

"Well, _that's _pretty sexist," Robin snorted but stomped in. He didn't think it would be appreciated if he used a picnic table after all.

They got a few looks and gasps, especially Slade who towered over everyone else, but at least the changing table was in a separate room at the back. Soon everyone was –somewhat- less sticky and they set off to explore the rest of the zoo.

"Hello! Hello? Excuse us? Please?"

They turned around and faced a bunch of foreign tourists, judging by the quite heavy accents.

"Yes?" Slade asked in his this-better-not-be-stupid voice.

"Can we pet? Take picture?" one of the women asked and pointed to Robin and the triplets.

"This is my _husband_, not a pet, and these are my _children_!" Slade growled. "Leave us alone or that camera is only going to take pictures of your intestines from now on."

The group fled, upset as the 'attraction' was so rude.

Robin grinned and wound his arms around the mercenary.

"So I'm your husband now?" he purred.

"It was the easiest way to explain."

"Pft… you just lost those bonus points…" Robin muttered and let go, only to be caught and drawn back in.

"Husband or not, you're still mine. All of you."

"Really? Because I feel left out right now…" Red pouted.

Slade grinned and pulled him into the hug as well, while their children watched, looking bored. Their parents hugging and stuff was much too common, they wanted to see more kitties!

"Mama-papa-dada!" Oliver eventually called out.

"Did he just call you two different things?" Robin blinked.

"Ugh, I don't want to be 'papa'," Slade muttered.

"What about 'dad' and 'daddy'?" Red asked.

"If you'll be 'daddy'."

"It might be too small of a difference for them to say…" Robin said thoughtfully. "But yeah, we should start thinking about these things too, I guess…"

"Or just let them decide?" Slade shrugged.

"I'm going to do some-"

"-research," Slade and Red cut in, and grinned at the youngest teen.

"Yes," he sniffed. "But first, there's a bird show starting in twenty minutes!"

"We'll go if you promise not to eat anything," the thief said worriedly.

Birds were something of a weak spot with Robin. They brought out the predatory side of the cat in him… He didn't know if it was an scent they gave off, or the way they moved, but he could get mesmerized by them, something they had discovered when they tried having a bird-feeder on their roof patio. It hadn't really been a good idea. Safe to say he enjoyed the show immensely, even though Slade had to put a hand on his shoulder when he almost rose out of his seat at one point when a bird of prey was made to fly over the audience. It wouldn't have looked good f it had ended up in Robin's mouth. Probably wouldn't have tasted that good either.

Everything was a bit over the kitten's heads, but they liked the clapping and shouts from the audience, and hollered along with them. Oliver struck up a conversation with a slightly older child close by and missed half the show because of them babbling at each other and waving their arms.

Afterwards they went for their packed picnic and sat down on a large blanket in the designated picnic area. Red ran off to heat the bottles in microwave in a small restaurant close by, and returned , not only with warm bottles, but with three lavishly decorated cupcakes as well.

"Celebrating, remember?" he grinned.

"It took me three months to lose the pregnancy pounds…" Robin muttered but bit into his cake.

"Pft, you did that by nursing," Slade snorted. "Want to go on a run with me tomorrow morning? Before the kids wake up?"

"There is a 'before the kids wake up'?" Red blinked.

"Actually, yes, I_ should_ work out a bit more regularly," Robin nodded. "I just… umm… have to figure out what to do about these," he said and patted his chest. His breasts were all but invisible under his shirt, but that didn't mean that they didn't bounce when he ran. He had taken to wearing a wife beater which was a couple of sizes too small under his clothes, but that wouldn't be enough for a jog.

"Oh, don't worry about that on_ my_ account…" Slade leered.

"You're gonna end up getting fucked in the park," Red smirked.

"Darn it, I wanted to be fucked in the ass," Robin snickered.

"Either way that's good exercise too," Slade chuckled and reached for Dominic. "Time for some food, little man."

When the kids were all happily fed – all of them getting a bottle, as Robin didn't feel comfortable breastfeeding right here in the open– they settled down a little. Robin was leaning back against Slade's chest, while Red's head was resting in his lap. The teen hero toyed with the thief's hair lazily. The kids were sitting together on the blanket, looking around.

"They sit up so well now… remember when they could only do it hunched over like little tripods?" Robin smiled.

"They are really ahead of humans," Slade agreed. "I don't think they are supposed to be able to do that for another month or two."

"That reminds me! At the petting zoo… a woman there – well we talked and she was a bit blunt but she asked if they were all like me…"

"I think that's obvious?" Slade said. "They don't seem to have _Red's_ tail…?"

"Ha-ha, very funny. She meant… umm.. sexually. That is… will the boys be able to get pregnant when they grow up?"

Slade and Red were silent for a moment, as neither of them had apparently thought about this either.

"We should check. Leslie should be able to see it with the ultra sound, shouldn't she?"

"Won't they be too small for that?" Red asked.

"If they are, then we'll just have to check when they get older… I mean, neither of them might be gay, although, I'm not sure that matters that much to Ferocitas… I'm not terribly attracted to other males, but I'm crazy about you two…" Robin said.

"That circus person _did _do that sexuality test on you, remember?" Slade said,. "It said you were attracted to males."

"I don't remember much at all from my first day or two…" Robin mumbled and rubbed his cheek against the man's chest to comfort himself. "Maybe it changed when my genes kicked in? Maybe I just wasn't… ummm…. sexually mature before then, and that's the reason I didn't really think about that sort of thing…"

"Might be," Slade nodded. "Red, stop Alexandra from eating that dandelion, will you?"

After the kids had been pulled towards the center of the blanket again, away from yummy grass, pebbles, and –possibly– worse things, they all went back to just enjoying the sun and the fresh air.

They ended the day by walking through the African safari part of the park. Giraffes, elephants, rhinos and especially lions, were all a hit.

"We have to take them back here in a year or two when they understand more," Robin said as they headed for the exit. He was so tired he considered kicking the kids out of the stroller and take their place, but they still had a feeding, a changing and a quick bath left. Robin leaned on Red's arm on the car ride home and wondered how people in general even _survived _the first years even with only one child.

_To be Continued… _

* * *

A/N: Now I'm tired too…


	7. Saturday, 7th of December 2013

**A/N**: Less outings more smex…? ;)**  
**

* * *

**Saturday, 7th of December**

"Get up, Apprentice!"

Robin shot from the bed, his tail poofed out like crazy, and then growled at a chuckling Slade.

"Don't do that! Don't use that _voice_!"

"What can I say, I enjoy watching you jump…" the man smirked. "Get dressed, we're going jogging."

"How about my… umm?" Robin gestured to his chest.

"Here," the man threw a roll of gauze at him.

"I think I'll need your help with that."

"I would never miss an opportunity to feel you up," Slade leered.

"Mmh? Who's feeling who up?" Red asked from the bed.

"We're going jogging, you're on kid-duty. They are all sound asleep, though," Slade told him as he wrapped the bandage tightly around the teen's chest. He could ask him to buy some sort of sports bra or chest flattening device, but he knew Robin would refuse to do that, and his small mounds were supposed to disappear when he stopped breastfeeding anyway. Slade couldn't for the life of him decide if he wanted them to or not. He liked the male form as well as the female and Robin, with that tiny bit of extra softness, was just a perfect mix right now… but his male chest had been quite a sight as well.

"…have fun…" the thief mumbled and soon soft snoring was heard from under the covers again.

The very early Saturday morning was crisp. There were still quite a few signs of Friday night on the streets, and even some people who were on their way home from one party or another…. or maybe on their way to a new one, who knew?

Robin was glad that, even though their apartment was close to the city center, it still managed to be in a rather quiet neighborhood. Besides, living at the top floor meant that they weren't bothered by all the noise from the street.

"I just realized that I've turned into an old geezer…" Robin declared. "I was thinking how nice it is that our place is quiet."

"You always liked to be able to have some quiet time, though," Slade pointed out. "Even in your old Titans days… so don't apply for a senior citizen membership anywhere quite yet."

They ran to the park, where Robin took some time to stretch before heading off again. Slade didn't really need warm up, but he didn't mind helping Robin out… and feeling him up.

"We're not having enough sex these days, are we?" the teen chuckled as he felt an unnecessary hand on his ass once more.

"I could have more," the man shrugged. It was more of a joke than anything, but Robin hesitated.

"Um… I'm.. sorry? We'll… try to fit more in, or I can watch the babies and you and Red can-"

"Robin, don't be silly. We have kids now, of _course_ we're not going to have as much sex as we used to."

"Yeah, but if you feel you're not getting enough…?"

"If I do and neither you or Red are up for it, I still have a hand," the man snorted. "Two, in fact. If you think I would look for it elsewhere-"

"No, I… really hope you wouldn't," Robin said seriously. "I'd neuter you with my claws."

"I would never cheat on you and Red. Ever."

Robin grinned. "You just earned yourself some one-on-one naughty time… come on!"

"You don't _have_ to-"

"But I want to!" the teen insisted.

"Fine. I'll watch the kids while you 'make it up' to Red later, then," the man chuckled and followed him as they jogged further into the park.

"You guys did it! I _knew _you would!" Red snickered as soon as he saw them again.

"Guilty," Robin grinned. "Are the kids still asleep?"

"Yup, but they are starting to stir so the bottles are about to be ready to go."

"Wanna let Slade take over and join me in the shower?" Robin leered.

"Yes. Definitely yes," the redhead laughed.

"_I_ could take Red to the shower instead?" Slade offered selflessly. "Wouldn't want to wear you out…"

"Sorry, your place is in the kitchen," Red smirked. "Besides, I don't fancy a sore ass this morning, thank you."

"Who said _you _would get to top?" Robin huffed and dragged him away.

"Seriously, though, you don't have to do this compensating thing," Red told him when the other teen started taking his clothes off.

"What do we say when offered sex?" Robin snorted.

"We say 'yes, please!'," the thief grinned. "But…"

"The only 'but' here is _my_ butt. Or your butt. Please, Red? I _do_ want to, and I _need_ to! Yes, I know it's not necessary to keep our family together," he added, as he pushed the redhead's pajama pants down, "but my inner cat will be soooo much happier… please?" he added, licking at the treat he found there, using only the very tip of his tongue, as that was silky soft. The rest of it was rather coarse, like a cat's, so he saved that for when one of his mates asked for it.

"Mmm… okay… you convinced me. Not that that was very hard."

"_This_ is pretty hard, though," Robin leered and sucked the tip of the teen's cock into his mouth.

* * *

They finished just in time to hear three children wailing. They had all woken up at the same time today, all hungry, all wet, all miserable. Slade didn't get his shower until later because –for a while–it was an 'all hands on deck' situation.

To make the kittens happy, Robin pulled out the large activity centers they all had. They didn't have them out all the time, because frankly the noise drove the adults up the wall, but soon the triplets were happily slamming down buttons that went 'boing!' and 'moo!', rattled rattles and pulled on things that made even more noise.

"Ah, who needs Mozart?" Slade muttered dryly.

"I'll be in the laundry room," Robin said, fleeing.

* * *

Ten minutes later he came dashing out of the room, looking excited.

"I just had a great idea for Christmas gifts!"

"We did the photos…?" Slade reminded him. "Or did you mean for the Titans?"

"We're not exchanging gifts," Robin shrugged. "No, I meant for Bruce and Alfred, as something extra! And for us too!"

"Well, tell us what it is, already!" Red said, looking curious.

"Hand and foot prints! You know, to hang on the wall, or whatever? Wouldn't it be great to be reminded of how small they used to be?"

"Yes, but do you know how to make them?" Slade asked, and the cat boy's face fell.

"I have no idea… But I'm going to find out! Is it okay if I head to the mall for a bit?"

"Yes, we'll be fine here," Slade nodded.

"Good, can you take a look at the travel route I started working on?" Robin asked. "I'm pretty sure it meets all safety recommendations, but if you want to go by a different route, or something…?"

"I will. Go out and get whatever it is you need," the man nodded.

"Just one thing," Red said, raising his hand, "Um… this is a bit awkward… I know we're getting presents for Al and Bats, but what about each other?"

Robin looked at Slade and shrugged. "We already have enough to do, let's just make the presents about the kids, okay? The photos and stuff can be from the triplets to them, and I'm sure the kids are going to get stuff from them, so…?"

"And we can buy our own presents for them at the Ferocita show," Slade agreed. "After all, we can buy pretty much what we want ourselves."

"Well, I want a threesome!" Red smirked.

"Oh, I think that we can get you one of_ those_," Robin grinned. "But maybe not first thing Christmas morning, okay?"

"Oh, it's fine any time," the thief grinned. "As long as it's with you guys."

"Ah, dammit, I _knew_ there was a catch," Slade chuckled.

"Play nice now!" Robin laughed.

"Wait, you haven't even had breakfast yet!" Red called after him, gesturing at the table which was full of breakfast remains and crumbs.

"I'll grab something. Bye!"

Armed with a sandwich from a nearby deli, Robin was ready for this new mission,. He had made molds of footprints before – as a detective – so he knew how to use plaster, which he suspected these little pieces of art were made of… now he just needed ingredients and instructions and the craft store he eventually found had both.

"How many mold are you planning on making?" the woman there asked.

"Um… a lot?" Robin blinked. "It's for three kids, I want both hand and footprints, and for gifts too…"

"I think you're going to need a bit more plaster…" the store attendant said.

He didn't only need that, though. He also needed paint and paintbrushes, and molds. The instructions suggested to use a disposable tin pie mold, but the store had reusable latex molds for sale, which also created a hole at the back so the print could easily be hung on a wall. As Robin planned to do this every year, he bought six.

* * *

"No, no, Dominic, don't make a fist! Aw, darn…"

The kitchen was a complete mess, but the kids seemed fascinated anyway.

"Alexandra's prints are already done," Slade said smugly to a struggling Robin.

"No use bragging to me, she's _my_ kid too," the teen huffed, trying to stop his youngest, but largest and most stubborn, son to eat the plaster he had scooped up in his hand.

"Oliver's are done too, now they just have to set and then we can do the feet," Red let him know. "Let me help you with that. Dominic, we're making art here, not food!"

"Slade, put a note on the done ones, so know who is who's, please… I'm not doing this again!" Robin complained. He had plaster from nose to tail tip, and it was beginning to itch.

"So this isn't going to become a tradition after all?" the man smirked.

"Yes it is! Next year they are older, it will be easier then!"

"Hope is the last thing to abandon man," the mercenary said airily.

Two hours later the kids were clean and back to playing. The kitchen was _somewhat_ clean and the molds were drying.

"Now we just need to paint them and write their names and year on them," Robin said. "Tomorrow," he added.

"They need to dry that long?" Red asked.

"Yes… and also, because I'm beat."

"Reason enough," Slade said. "I've had enough of the kitchen toady as well. Let's order something for dinner."

"Yes!" both Robin and Red exclaimed, barely lifting their heads from where they had collapsed on the couch.

"The kids still need food though," the man reminded them, at which he only got a groan in reply. He chuckled and let the two teens rest a bit while he played with the triplets.

He took turn letting them grab his hands and lifting them to their feet. They couldn't support themselves yet, of course, but they liked standing up like that and bouncing a bit. Dominic was the strongest in that department and Slade let the boy try to pull himself up, which he managed to do just barely.

"Look who's standing," he grinned, and Robin made a happy little sound.

"Our big boy!" he cooed, and the toddler looked very proud and happy with the attention.

Alexandra wanted to steal some, though and crawled under the table towards her mom and daddy, where she was picked up and cooed over as well.

Oliver watched them all, being uncharacteristically quiet for once, gnawing at a toy. He pulled the thing out of his mouth after a while though and, quite forcefully, informed them of the current situation.

"Boom-boom!"

That night, after putting their kids to bed, they ate Chinese food while sitting in front of the TV. They were just idly watching a nature documentary, chatting between themselves.

"Did you check the route, by the way?"

"Yes, but I really could get us there in less than forty eight hours," Slade told him. "You have calculated for five over night stops."

"If it was me, you and Red, then yeah, I know you could, but we'll have babies in the car and they will get fussy. We're going to need to stop for changes and feedings. I've counted on nine hours driving a day, at most, but if they are at asleep and we can push on a bit, we'll do that," Robin said.

"We are stopping in Vegas, though, aren't we?" Red asked.

"Yes," Robin muttered. "Which is one reason I think we won't make it that far the first day. But if that's settled, then we'll leave on the tenth, okay?"

"Sounds good," Slade nodded.

"Good…" Robin yawned. "I'll call Bruce and Nick tomorrow… It's too late now anyway…"

"Do you want to take a run with me tomorrow as well?" Slade asked.

"Not unless you carry me. I'll do what Red does and hit our home gym a bit from now on," the teen yawned again.

"You love running,"

"Yes, but not at four in the morning, two days in a row," the cat boy muttered. "I'm gonna go to bed… night."

"Night," Red replied and Slade nodded.

The thief glanced at the mercenary as they stayed in front of the TV for a while. He really had no idea how they had gone from being fuck buddies –if they even were that− to all this. He knew it wouldn't have happened before Robin, and it wasn't until the man decided to share his name with him that Red really understood that _he_ meant something to Slade too.

"You are looking at me funny," the man told him flatly, his sixth sense about these things having warned him.

"Sorry, I just… we're all Wilsons now."

"Yes."

"You looked so damn smug right now, you know," Red chuckled.

"I did?"

"Yup. You like being the top dog, don't you?"

"Of course. Was that a challenge?" the man arched an eyebrow and sent tingles down Red's spine.

"From me? No way… Robin is better at the submissive thing than I am, though, it's in his nature now."

"Want to practice?" the man leered and turned towards him on the sofa.

"Pfft, like how would- OOF!" Before he knew it, he was suddenly pinned down on the couch, unable to do more than blink and pant for breath, while Slade was on top of him, leering.

"I think you submit quite well, little thief."

"So if a tree falls on you, you 'submit' to it?" Red snorted. "It's not my fault that you weigh as much as a small bus!"

"Fine." The man pulled him up again, until he was straddling Slade's thighs. The mercenary was still holding his wrists in a firm grip at his sides, though, and smirked up at him. "Feeling like submitting now?"

"I should just smash my forehead into your nose," the thief snorted.

"Kiss me."

Red met the man's single eye. It was true that Robin was submissive by nature; his inner cat recognized Slade as the alpha male of the group. That didn't mean he let anyone push him around, but whenever the man used a certain tone he tended to yield. Red never,_ ever_ pointed this out to him, because he knew that it would only fuel the negative feelings Robin already had against his heritage. For Red, though, Slade used to be the 'big bad', the man to watch out for, the man that might –possibly– hurt him if he did the wrong thing, but that didn't mean he rolled over on his back for him just like that.

The man's gaze had locked with his. There was something about that piercing grey-blue stare, that small smirk on the lips, and the way he kept perfectly still, as if he was just waiting, knowing he would give in, but Red would never-

"Oh, for crying out loud…" the thief muttered and sagged in the man's grip before leaning down to kiss him, melting against his chest. Only then did Slade let go of his wrists and gripped the thief's hips instead, grinding up against him.

"See? You did quite well," he chuckled as their lips parted.

"Shut up and make my ass sore already," the order came.

* * *

Robin woke up briefly when his mates finally came to bed. He sniffed the air and smiled.

"Mmm… you smell like sex," he mumbled, burrowed into Red's arms, and fell right back to sleep again.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: one of my earliest memories where in "kindergarten" when they wanted to make a cast of my foot… I was absolutely terrified, because it was made like when you get a cast on your leg, and I knew that meant you had to have a BROKEN leg, so I thought they were going to break my foot… *lol* I think I was three or four or something. Poor them, having to deal with my imagination then… poor you, for having to deal with it NOW… ;)


	8. Sunday, 8th of December 2013

A/N: Last night ended with smex, let's start this morning off the same way, shall we? and DRAMA! ;)

* * *

**Sunday, 8th of December 2013**

Robin was woken up the next morning, but again not by the children crying. Instead there were two sets of lips on him, kissing, licking and nibbling at every piece of exposed skin they could find… and there was quite a lot of that. His pajama pants were gone.

"Didn't you guys get enough yesterday?" he chuckled as he stretched.

"I'm afraid it only wetted my appetite," Slade told him, and Red made a agreeing sound.

"Well… mine too…" Robin purred.

"MAMA! MAMA!"

"Aaaand the three cock blockers strike again," Red sighed. "Yesterday was just a fluke; they _always_ know when we're up to something…"

"At least when it's all three of us together…" Robin sighed. He loved having both his mates at the same time… literally… that thought made his cock twitch and his ass actually tingled. "Damn, I'm soooo hoooornyyyy…" he moaned, but he then admitted defeat as a second voice joined in crying for him, sounding close to tears. He climbed out of bed followed by the others, and grabbed a pair of jeans off the floor. He pulled them up and grimaced. "Darn it, these are yours, Red… no opening for my tail…" by now the triplets were wailing, however, so there was nothing he could do. He let the jeans come up to just below his tail and hurried into the nursery.

"We're here!" he called out and started purring just to calm the children down a little. "Yes, yes, I know, we slept in a little bit. You father is getting your bottles ready right now, and daddy and I are here okay?" he told them while lifting Alexandra up on one arm and Dominic on the other. "Who needs changing first?"

Soon he was nursing Alexandra and the tears had dried on everybody's cheeks.

"I'm going to paint the casts today. Red, Slade, can one of you go pick up the photos? Or you can call Bruce and Nat because- no okay, I'll call," the teen snickered as he saw the look of absolute terror on his mate's faces. Well. On Red's. Slade frowned and stiffened a little, though, which was more or less the same thing.

"I'll pick up the photos, do we need anything else? Red asked.

"I don't know, check the fridge, but don't buy more than we can finish before we leave. Oh! Wait! Wrapping paper and strings and bows and such… something Christmassy and tasteful! Um, Slade, we have the funds for the trip, right? We don't have to bring a lot of food and stuff?"

"We're covered, don't worry," said their finance director. They all had individual accounts as well, but household purchases and things like this, went through their main one and, frankly, Slade was the one who put most of the money into it, though Red took on building jobs and Robin sometimes did a bit of 'celebrity' stunts while being on 'paternity leave'. He also had his trust fund to fall back on, Slade had quite a lot of money tucked away as well, but Red had no savings at all when Robin had met him. He hadn't even been eating all days of the week, it had turned out, and hadn't exactly been good with money when he got his hands on some. Now, however, Slade had taken him by the ear and straightened things out a bit…

"Good," Robin smiled, "Especially for the shopping at the show I can't wait for that! But that means that Slade has to keep an eye on the kids, because I don't want to paint the plaster in front of them… The will want to join, and I don't think the paint is okay to eat."

"I'll look after them. I'll have to do some paperwork, but they can be in the study with me. No risk of Alexandra doing her disappearing act in there."

Robin nodded. The morning was planned out. He got to painting straight away, so the presents would be ready to wrap later. He didn't decorate the pieces, he just painted all the plaster except the actual print in a warm green, and wrote the names and year of the kids below. They were going to give one set of hands and feet to Alfred and Bruce together, and one set to Doctor Leslie. One set they were going to keep themselves, and Robin didn't waste any time in getting nails and a hammer. He decided that the prints would look really cool lined up on the living room wall and got to work.

"What are- oh." It was Slade coming down the hall.

"I'm just-" Robin was about to explain when there was a crash and wail from the study.

Slade immediately turned on his heel and Robin wasn't far behind. They found Dominic with a drawer on top of him, crying hysterically.

Slade snatched away the drawer, which was half full of printing paper and quite heavy.

"Sweetie, what happened?" Robin gasped, "Look he scraped his leg!"

"He must have tried to pull himself up on the drawers, we haven't gotten to childproofing anything in here yet," Slade said, sounding angry. Robin knew that he was angry at himself, and wasn't hysterical enough to add pain to injury by yelling at him. He was a bit shook up, though, especially as Dominic screamed when he tried to touch his foot.

"I… I think we have to go to the hospital…" Robin stuttered. "What... what if it's broken?"

"I'll get their carry cots," Slade just said and hurried away.

Robin's heart was beating like crazy. His child was hurt! His child! He tried everything to get the boy to calm down, but Dominic was inconsolable.

"He… he won't stop crying," he said to Slade as the man came back with the cots and hurriedly strapped Alexandra and Oliver in. The other two triplets looked worried and close to tears themselves, and Oliver was very quiet, his huge blue eyes were round and a little frightened.

Robin was focused on Dominic, though, who cried even harder when he lifted him into the cot, his little arms waving around like windmills.

"Let's go." Slade lifted Oliver's and Dominic's cots. Robin grabbed Alexandra's and had to run after them man who could really walk fast when he wanted to.

Not until they got in the car did Robin remember to call Red.

"Hi, it's me, Dominic had a little accident, we're heading to the hospital− no, he's okay, he's just upset as you can hear, but a drawer fell on his leg, we just have to check. Meet us there? Slade, which one?"

"Jump Central, of course."

"But we don't even know if Doctor Simmons works today!" Robin objected. "They don't have any papers, we-"

"If she's not there, I'll make a few calls," the man said firmly and that was it. Robin told Red where they were heading and he, who had just finished his errands, said that he would grab a cab to the hospital immediately.

Once they arrived they stormed into the main foyer of the hospital and Slade stalked up to the reception desk.

"Page doctor Susan Simmons, please," he told the male nurse there.

"Are you a family member?"

"My son hurt his leg-"

"Well, in that case, would you fill out this form, please, and-"

"Page. Doctor. Simmons."

"You will see a doctor soon, but-"

Slade had had enough and lifted the male nurse right off his feet. "You'll get on that phone and get Simmons here right now, or you'll need a doctor yourself. And I'm going to make you fill in those forms with your own blood."

"Slade!" Robin called out and put a hand on the man's arm, looking around wildly to see if security had spotted them. Luckily they were partly hidden behind a large potted plant and a stand with vaccination brochures. "He's just doing his job!"

"I could do _my_ job too," the mercenary shrugged and turned his eye on the nurse again "Mine is killing people. Yours is making sure patients see doctors, isn't it? Then do that. Now."

"I'm here! Is he okay?" Red panted as he ran in, full sprint, with a couple of bags in his hands. He had been closer to the hospital but it had taken a little while to find a cab.

"He won't stop crying," Robin almost whimpered, and yes, Dominic was still crying, but a little more quietly now.

The nurse made an intercom call, and within a few minutes an older woman in a lab coat hastened into the room.

"Oh, it's you three. What do you think they have now? Malaria?" she said dryly. She was a nice lady –Robin would have never accepted her otherwise, he had already turned down a score of pediatricians before they found her– but she didn't take any crap.

"Should I call security, doctor?" the male nurse piped up.

"No, they are my patients. I'm short on time, though, what is it?" she asked them.

"A drawer fell on Dominic's leg and he's really in pain," Robin explained quickly.

"Come with me and we'll take a look," the woman nodded, nothing the crying child.

As they wanted as little to do with the authorities as possible –especially as they didn't have any papers yet− it had been important to find a personal doctor who would not ask questions, but of course they wouldn't settle for some back-alley quack. When they had found Simmons, it turned out that her husband were being blackmailed by some mobsters to pay 'protection' for the store he owned, something that ate up almost all his profits. Slade and Robin gladly took care of that, and thus bought the woman's loyalty and silence. They tried not to bother her too much, though, but yes, there had been that time when Robin thought a diaper rash was the measles…

Still, even though they knew her, this was a stressful situation, and Red was faced with the impossible mission to try to hold both Robin and Slade back while she examined their child.

"It hurts him, can't you hear he's in pain?" Robin snarled.

"I'm afraid I have to feel through the leg, and yes, it probably hurts a little, but we need to do it to find out if he might need an X-ray," the doctor said calmly, used to dealing with hysterical parents, even though most didn't hiss at her. "You said something fell on his leg?"

Slade explained the situation. He wasn't about to attack the woman, he had better control over his instincts, but Red could hear the shoulder-seams of his shirt creak as the man tensed.

"I see… I can't feel anything broken. We'll take an x-ray just to be sure. There, there, little guy, let me get you something."

The woman went to a locker and returned with a soft toy wrapped in plastic. She opened it and gave it, a red elephant, to the sniffling boy, who grasped it like it was the one thing in the world that could save his life.

"It's complimentary," Doctor Simmons smiled. "We give them out to kids who seem to need them, and who needs to be a little bit brave. Are we going to be brave, Dominic?"

The boy seemed to think that over while putting the elephant's trunk in his mouth and chewing on it.

They had to wait for the x-ray, but by this time they had all calmed down and no death threats were being uttered. The waiting room had quite a lot of toys for kids of all ages and Alexandra drabbed onto a doll and wouldn't let go.

"You're too young to confirm gender stereotypes," Robin told her. "And you'll probably poke out the doll's eyes and eat them."

"Are you calling our daughter a psychopath?" Slade asked, finally relaxing enough for a dry joke.

"No, I'm calling her crafty," Robin smiled.

"Okay, how did all this happen?" Red demanded to know. "I mean, I know he got a desk drawer on his leg, but…?"

"They were in the study, and we think he was trying to stand up by the desk… the drawer came right out when he fell backwards," the hero explained in more detail when they has told the doctor.

"Think? You weren't there?"

"No. My fault," Slade muttered. "I heard a strange noise, but it was just Robin hammering, and… I only left for a few seconds…"

"It's okay," the black haired young man said softly. "I mean, we keep losing Alex- where did she go?!" The girl was only just behind a toy box, however, still with the doll in a firm grip. "Like I said, we keep losing her… it happened and it will happen again… all we can do is baby proof the place as much as we can, and that's pretty much it…"

"I'll get right to it when we get home," Slade promised.

"We'll all help, there's no need to feel guilty…" Red agreed.

Slade scoffed. 'Feeling guilty' wasn't exactly something he tended to do, but yes, in this case… Oliver had found a book and was 'reading' loudly from it, close to Dominic, who was still in his carry-cot. Robin didn't want to let him out in case his leg really _was_ injured, and he didn't seem to want to move either, he was just chewing on his toy, looking like the whole world was against him. Robin could practically see the tiny thundercloud over his head and had to smile as he kneeled in front of him.

"John Alfred Dominic, you poor boy… all you wanted to do was explore a bit, didn't you?"

The baby's gray eyes met his and he spat out the elephant's trunk for a moment.

Very, very softly, he asked,"… ikeam?"

"Yes! Yes, sweetie, as soon as we've taken a picture of your leg we'll get you home and you can have all the ice cream you want," Robin promised with a laugh and gave his son a kiss.

* * *

"As we hoped there's no fracture, so he got away with a shallow scrape and some bruising," the Doctor Simmons told them.

"I want to see the x-rays," Slade told her.

"Are you a doctor, because trust me-"

"Just let him see them. Please," Robin told her urgently.

"Of course." The woman fetched the images and put them on the x-ray view box hanging on the wall. After turning it on, she gestured to the pictures and Slade took a long, close look before nodding.

"No fractures."

The doctor seemed to be close to saying 'I told you so', but managed to stop herself.

"That's it, then, you can go home," she smiled thinly. Robin had a feeling that people in general quickly got rather tired of them…

"Thank you so much," he said as warmly as he could. "There's one little problem, though. Our daughter, Alexandra, she has really taken a shine to a doll she found in the waiting room-" he gestured to the girl who still hadn't let it go.

"I'm sorry, but those are not for sale," they were told.

"We don't really want to hear our kids cry any more today, how about this…" Slade brought out his checkbook, jutted something down and handed the check over. The doctor's eyes widened. "It's a donation to buy toys and whatever you need for the children's ward and waiting rooms," the man said. "Also, the nurse in the reception might have had an… unpleasant experience earlier this evening. I expect we won't be hearing anything about that and that we can take the doll?"

The doctor took a look at the check and blinked. "I think that can be arranged," she said.

"Good. I like to hear those words from people," the man smirked.

"But," the woman added and poked the mercenary in the chest, "I wouldn't normally look the other way if a staff member got assaulted, so don't do it again! Behave yourself!"

"We're really very sorry," Robin told her on Slade's behalf.

"We'll leave him in the car next time," Red grinned and winked at the doctor, who snorted good naturedly.

"I don't particularly care for that guy, he already has a warning on his record. I'm going to tell him to keep his head down and mention that it's weird that I seem to smell marijuana around him now and then."

"He's on drugs?" Robin gawked.

"If I suspected that, he'd already be out the door, but he seems like the slow witted type," the doctor shrugged. "It wouldn't surprise me if he used on his days off."

"I like he way you think," Slade smirked.

As they left, Robin couldn't help but ask.

"So, how much did you give them?"

"Fifty."

"Fifty bucks for a small doll is- fifty _thousand_?!"

"Yes."

Robin was quiet for a little while.

"Um… we're still going to be able to go shopping at the show, right?"

* * *

When they got home they had the promised ice cream to the kid's delight. They were all tired and hungry so dinner was ordered over the phone again as the triplets had their bottles.

"Darn, I was going to call Bruce and Nick…" Robin sighed and threw himself in the couch , grabbing his laptop. He spent over an hour on the phone telling Bruce what had happened. He actually remembered to tell the man about their travelling plans as well, and then he sent off an e-mail to Nick as he was out of energy for more talking.

Some of the energy returned when Red remembered about the photos he had picked up, though, and they went through them curiously. The photographer might have been sick of them but he had done a good job. Red dug out some empty frames and put the photos they were giving away in them, and then he and Robin wrapped those and the molds up neatly while Slade changed the kid's diapers.

"Dear god, I think the canned food is coming through," he told them when he returned. "Let's feed them milk until they can use the bathroom."

"It's really that bad?" Robin laughed.

"I've breathed in mustard gas that was milder," the man muttered. "They are in their beds, but Dominic's still fussy. I'm going out to the hardware store to pick up some more child proofing things, could one of you check up on him in a minute?"

"Of course," Robin smiled, and the man left.

"We childproofed a lot from the start, when we renovated, though," Red said to Robin. "All the sockets, the whole kitchen…"

"Yes, but he needs to do this," Robin said softly. "He needs to try to set things right."

"I thought we agreed it wasn't his fault?"

"_We_ agreed yes… _he _didn't," the younger teen smiled a little sadly.

"Huh… I teased him for loving to be the guy in charge yesterday… I guess this is the back side of that," the thief said. "I hate to say it, but I'm kind of glad it wasn't one of us that messed up… would he have forgiven _us_?"

"I think he'd have a much easier time doing that, than forgiving himself," the hero mumbled. "I'll go check on the kids, can you put the gifts in a bag by the door so we won't forget them? Oh, and we need to make sure we have enough clean clothes for us and the kids too, and pack those… and diapers, and-"

"I'm on it, go snuggle with our little explorer," Red smiled and kissed his forehead.

Dominic was still awake and looked quite unhappy, so Robin let him have the breast for a bit to console him. The little man soon joined his brother and sister in sleep and Robin put him back in his cot, minding the bruised leg.

"I wonder why he cried that much, I thought his leg was crushed at first," he said to Red a little later as they were lounging in front of the TV, Red playing with his phone and Robin with his laptop, neither of them really paying attention to what was going on on the screen.

"Well, he hasn't hurt himself like that before," Red shrugged. "If I didn't really know what pain was, I'd be terrified too."

"Yeah, I guess you're right… and maybe he got more scared when we just freaked out and whisked them all off to the hospital," Robin grunted. "Besides, hitting your shinbone like that effing _hurts_."

"Yeah. Hey, you know what we should do?"

"Finish off the pizza?"

"Exactly."

_To be Continued…_

* * *

**A/N: **Poor Dominic, but ice-cream makes everything better.. right?


	9. Monday, 9th of December 2013

**A/N: **Enjoy… too tired for anything else…

* * *

**Monday, 9th of December 2013**

"Haven't you slept all night?" Robin asked as he found Slade screwing something to a closet door the next morning.

"I'm almost done," the man said, not answering the question at all, but confirming Robin's suspicions nonetheless.

"Breakfast is ready soon," the hero sighed, letting the man be.

"What the hell? I can't open the wardrobe!" Red yelled from their bedroom.

Robin sighed again, shook his head and quietly left.

* * *

"Open wide! Like this! Aaaah!" Robin told Oliver, who looked suspicious. "Look, it's a toothbrush! Want to nom on it? Nom-nom-nom!"

"Ikeam?"

"I'm not going to put ice cream on your toothbrush, come on now!"

"Adala-ga-wa-ba-ba-ba-da-na!"

"Okay, I didn't get_ any_ of that… let's just wipe your gums with this nice cloth instead then… let me see those teeth! Let mommy see your tiger teeth!" Those 'tiger teeth' had barely broken the skin yet and there was only two of them in the lower jaw, front and center, but Robin felt it was important to start with the oral hygiene anyway. He had already tricked Alexandra and Dominic, but Oliver was a bit too crafty to fall for anything simple.

Slade was off on another job, but a heroic one this time; he had been asked to help track down some missing people in the mountains close by. Red was packing – with directions from Robin, and Robin himself was trying to stop his child's teeth from rotting.

"Alalalala!"

"Yes, very pretty. Are you going to be a singer when you grow up?" the teen asked. He loved hearing Oliver talk, and as the boy seldom _stopped, _there was a lot of it. Speaking was probably the area where all the kids were the most advanced, and Ollie seemed to pick up new words every day, although what was just mimicking and what he actually _understood_ was hard to say.

In the end Robin got an idea and went to get his own toothbrush, wetted it in a glass of water, and began brushing his teeth. That got Oliver interested enough to start gnawing at his own brush, and apparently the bristles felt good against his tender gums.

"That's my boy! We're going to have to ask aunt Raven to come over and make your mouths feel better again," he said and picked up his phone, which was hooked up to the Titan's com-system as well.

"Raven, hi, it's me, are things quiet? Good… you see, we're leaving for the east coast tomorrow morning and the kids are fussing with their teeth again… could you…? Thank you! Yes, right now is just fine, just land on the roof. Yes, of course Star can come too! Bye!"

Soon his former team mates were keeping the kids occupied so Robin could help Red a bit.

"What happened to his leg?" Raven asked. Dominic had a rather ugly bruise now, and whenever he happened to touch it he started sniffling. Robin told her the story and she snorted.

"You should have just called me."

"Oh… yeah, I… we didn't think of that… besides, what if something bad happened in the city and you needed your full powers?"

"Still." The young woman held her hands over the leg and when she removed them the bruise and the little scrape mark was completely gone.

"Thank you, Rae," Robin said with a warm smile. "The car trip will be easier now."

"Optimism? Interesting." The empath smirked. "I wouldn't want to trade places with you for the world."

"Interesting idea, though, hot stuff," Red winked at her.

"Keep him on a leash," Raven told her former leader dryly.

"I'm thinking about it," Robin chuckled.

"Wheeeee!" Alexandra shouted as she and 'aunt Starfire' whizzed by, right above their heads.

"Glad Slade is working… after all the time he spent baby proofing the place, he wouldn't be happy to see _that_," Robin chuckled.

"So, are you looking forward to the trip?" Raven asked.

"More to_ getting_ there," her friend admitted.

"Are you leaving early?"

"Not very... I thought it was best if they got their normal morning routine first, so I think we'll leave around eight… If you fly by here, keep an eye on the place, okay?"

"Pft, a burglar would have to leave empty handed," Red snorted. "There's no way he'd be able to open a single door in here..."

* * *

"Hi, did you find those hikers?" Robin asked as Slade finally got home early that evening.

"Yes. And you know why the city asked me? Because the idiots had trespassed on a military training facility and they didn't want to send in search and rescue dogs." The mercenary did not sound like he was in a good mood. At all.

"Why?" Robin blinked. "Dogs could have searched that place quicker than-"

"It was a facility training people to find and disarm landmines," the man muttered. "No one wanted to send their precious dogs in_ there_…"

"Well, you're smarter than the average mutt…" Red grinned. "Or so you like to claim."

The man just gave him a glare an Robin went up to him, butting his head against his chest.

"You still did a good thing, Slade…" he smiled softly.

"The damn brats could have stood to get a foot or leg blown off. They _intentionally _went in there to find some 'cool stuff', they said… and then they got too fucking scared to trek back! I thought I was going after a family lost in the woods, not two crying, sniffling brats with their pants hanging half way down their ass and their-"

"Shhh, you're ranting," Robin put a finger against Slade's lips, chuckling amusedly. "We teens are horrible, I know. Listen, the kids are already asleep, they were so tired after last night, and- oh, fucking god!"

"That's a new endearment, but accurate enough. I like it," Slade smirked.

"No, I forgot about the driving manuals!"

"The bookstores will probably close in like… fifteen minutes," Red said. "You won't make it there in time."

"Watch me," Robin smirked, dashed into his wardrobe to grab his belt – which took a moment, as Slade had baby proofed that door too – pulled off his socks and ran out onto the roof patio, jumped over the ledge and was gone.

"I think I'll just stay here," Red shrugged.

Robin loved being barefoot and since his change the pads of his feet had become thicker, more like a sole. He usually still wore shoes in public, but when it came to running over roofs he liked it like this.

He pushed himself a little, enjoying how much stronger and more flexible his body was now. Yes, there were disadvantages to his change, big ones, but this… this almost made up for them. He could run faster, jump longer and higher, and also drop from higher places without batting an eye when he landed. It was amazing. He was getting so caught up in just the pleasure of it all that he almost forgot that he had a goal… one of the _disadvantages _was a short attention span, after all.

He dropped down among people in the middle of the mall and made it through the doors five minutes before the bookstore closed. He was in luck; they had two different driving education books so he bought two of each so he and Red could study the same one if needed. After a call home he then picked up some food for them and returned home at a much calmer pace, as he now had stuff to carry.

After they had eaten Robin whispered something in Red's ear. The other teen snickered and nodded.

"What are you up to?" Slade asked suspiciously, as not much slipped him by.

The teens stood up and walked to the middle of the living room where they huddled together.

"Help!" Red called out, although softly so the kids wouldn't wake up. "We're stuck! We can't move!"

"Please help us! Someone! Anyone!" Robin joined in.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" the man snorted and was about to walk by them, when Robin reached out and grabbed one arm, while Red latched on to the man's waist.

"Thank you!" the hero sniffled. "Thank you so much for saving us! We're so scared!"

"Please help us get out of here!" Red agreed.

"Really? What's in it for me?" the man muttered.

"We'll… we'll do anything you want…" Robin's eyes were now very big and very innocent, as his fingers trailed down the man's t-shirt covered chest.

"Anything at all!" Red agreed. "Just please get us out of here!"

"Oh, so _that's_ what you're doing…" the man chuckled. "Well, get into the bedroom, then."

"We can't! There are mines all around us!" Robin objected, because if you were playing a game, you needed to play it _right_.

"Fine."

Slade ended up carrying them both, one over each shoulder, and he took the opportunity to feel them up as well. He deserved that for being a hero, after all.

"Ouff!" Robin gasped as he was let down on the bed. He was soon kneeling on it, however, and beaming up at the man. "Thank you! You are our hero!" he blurted as Red landed on the bed next to him. "Is there… is there anything we can do to thank you?" he added and reached for the button of Slade's jeans.

"I think the idea you're having now is quite good," Slade smirked. Soon Red was there as well, and the teens began stripping the man while kissing every inch of exposed flesh. After leading the mercenary to the bed and making him lie down, the young men drew back a little.

"We… we're not sure what to do now, please tell us?" Robin asked meekly.

"Why don't you boys undress each other… and I'd like to see you kiss."

"Kiss?! But we're both dudes!" Red objected, continently forgetting that he had just been on his knees, kissing the tip of Slade's cock.

"I guess we _have_ to, he _saved_ us!" Robin pointed out. They turned towards each other and acted quite clumsy at first, getting their shirts off.

"Where is that kiss?" the mercenary asked with a chuckle.

Bashful Robin and Suddenly Straight and Somewhat Disgusted Red, gave each other a quick peck on the side of the mouth.

"Do better than that or I'll carry you back into that mine field and leave you there," the man threatened.

They kissed again, a bit more slowly this time, but it was still very rigid, until Robin let out a little moan. Things heated up then, and tongues were introduced. Soon the teens were going wild, tearing the rest of each other's pants off, until they were both naked.

"Stop."

Robin groaned, he didn't want to stop _now_! The order was firm, however, and they broke apart grudgingly.

"Yes, Sir?" Red asked, and the hero thought that was the most respectful the thief had ever sounded towards the man.

"You," Slade gestured at Red. "Get on your knees and suck our friend off."

"Put it in my mouth?! I won't do that!"

"Right now, or this goes up your ass," the man smirked and stroked his own, swollen length. The thief actually swallowed, because Slade was _very_ aroused, and from this angle it looked a bit too big to be comfortable… which is _was_, really, to be honest, but who the hell wanted to be comfortable when they could feel good instead, Robin wanted to know?

"O-okay," he mumbled and slowly got on his knees. "You better not spunk in my mouth, bro!" he growled at Robin.

"He'll do what he's told to," Slade cut in. "What are you, by the way?" he added, turning his gaze to the younger teen. "A little girly boy? Nice tits, squeeze them for me. And you, redhead, start sucking that dick!"

Robin almost burst out laughing there, as Slade had –in a way- used his name, but the feeling of the head of his cock being licked made him forgot to laugh and made him gasp instead. Red didn't do it as he usually did; he really acted like he had no idea what he was doing and didn't enjoy it one bit… and for some reason that was arousing! Robin found it a bit extra thrilling that he was the 'victim' as well here, and decided to empathize that.

"Please, Sir, he doesn't want to do it," he begged the man, who was watching them from the bed with a leer on his face.

"Shut that pretty mouth before I stuff it full of cock as well," the man barked at him. "Play with those nipples now, like a good girl. You'll get yours too…"

"But… but… it feels really good, Sir… I think… I think I might come!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Slade ordered. "Switch places."

It was Robin's turn to play the reluctant one, but he knew that his acting skills had limits so he settled for 'shy and inexperienced'… Red seemed to like that anyway, though.

"I want him to come in your mouth, but don't spit it out or swallow." the man ordered, and Robin increased his efforts to please his young mate. He began purring, as the vibrations drove both the men crazy and it worked now as well.

"Shit… I'm… I'm gonna-"

The cat boy had to fight the urge to swallow as his tongue was covered in Red's seed, but he didn't, only looked over at Slade pleadingly.

"That's a good boy… come here and share," the mercenary smirked.

Robin got on the bed and slowly crawled on top of the man, letting their lips touch. He opened his mouth, letting the treat slowly drip onto the man's waiting tongue. Slade grabbed the back of his head and mashed their lips together for a long, deep kiss that left the teen breathless and panting.

"I'm going to fuck you, little boy," the mercenary growled, using _that _voice, which made Robin's tail poof up and a little, needy whine escaped his lips. "You!" Slade called over to Red. "Come here and prepare him."

"Sorry, big guy, I'm spent," the other teen sneered, still in character.

"Your tongue seems to be working," the man pointed out.

"What? No way!"

"Like I said before; use your mouth, or I'm going to use your ass."

Robin very nearly came as Red's tongue pushed into him, but he fought for control, wanting to save it for when Slade was inside him. He was still on top of the man, laying against his chest with his ass up in the air, mewling and panting while clawing at Slade's shoulders. The man's hands were on his behind, spreading his cheeks apart so Red would be able to go deeper.

Robin never wanted it to stop, but at the same time…

"Please… please, Sir, fuck me… I need it… please…" he moaned.

"Fine. Redhead, get the lube on the night stand and slick me up. You better do a good job, or your little friend here won't be happy."

Soon Red helped Robin get into position and steady the man's length as the tip breached him. The hero threw his head back and moaned as he sank down to the hilt. He didn't get to rest there for long, though, because Slade grabbed his hips, lifted him up until he almost popped out of him and slammed the teen down again. Robin found his bearing and began riding the man slowly, enjoying the feel of being stretched and full.

"Wow, that looks kinda good," Red said. "I wanna fuck him too."

"Jump on," Slade invited him. "I bet the little kitten can take us both."

"Oh, god, yeeees!" the former Titan purred. It had been too long since they did this. "Just… slow… please?"

Red got into position and Robin tried to relax as he felt the head of the other teen's cock pushing against his entrance as well. He pushed back and hissed as he was breached.

"You okay?" Red asked, slipping out of character for a moment.

"Yes… yes, I'm fine, I… love it… so full!" Robin groaned. "Please, fuck me!"

"Fuck yourself, kitten. Ride us," Slade told him, and Robin groaned as he tried to find his leverage again.

"Why do I have… to do all the… work…?" he complained as he began to move. "Lazy bastards…"

His mates just chuckled, and after a little while started helping out as well.

"Oh… please… please… please… oh.. god… oh… please…!" Robin gasped under his breath. "I'm … I'm… AAH!"

His mates weren't far behind and a moment later Robin felt the added heat and slickness of their release before he was allowed to collapse against Slade's chest, Red practically rolling off him.

"That was… great…" the hero half gasped, half chuckled.

"It really was, but could you move, I need to get up," Slade told him.

"Nooo… why?" Robin objected, clinging to the man.

"Because you came in my eye."

* * *

_To be Continued…_

A/N: Still too tired…


	10. Tuesday, 10th of December 2013

**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews!

* * *

**Tuesday, 10th of December 2013 **

"So… that's everything, then?" Slade said and looked into the fully packed car.

"There's not much room for things we'll buy…" Robin muttered.

"Considering that we're bringing a lot of ferocita-styled diapers, that's not that surprising," the man told him. "But there's more space under the floor at the back, and if worse comes to worst we'll just make do with human diapers on the way home, and buy them as we need them."

Robin nodded, that would have to do.

"I guess we're ready, then… just one more thing to load."

"There's no _room_ for anything else," Slade warned him.

"Um… the kids?" the teen grinned.

"Oh… are _they_ coming?" the man smirked. "Fine. Maybe we can stick them on the roof."

They returned up to their apartment where Red was waiting with three kittens who seemed to sense that something was going on, because they were all very excited. Oliver was babbling away until Robin had to kneel in front of him.

"Ollie? Ollie? _Breathe_," he laughed. "We're going on a little trip in the car, will that be fun? Let's get you into your seat!"

"No one needs changing?"

"Just took care of that," Red said.

"Grab all the trash, then, in the kitchen too, we don't want to come home to that smell," Slade said. "We don't have anything in the fridge, do we?"

"No, Sir!" Robin saluted. "I checked myself."

"Well, aren't _you_ a good boy," the man purred.

"Stop it, I can still feel you inside me," Robin smirked back.

"Is that why you've looked like the cat who got the cream all morning?" Red chuckled and grabbed the trash in one hand and Oliver's carry cot in the other.

"Yup," the hero grinned and put Dominic in his cot, while Slade strapped in Alexandra. "Ready, then? We're off to see grandpa!" he added, making Slade sigh and look tortured.

Just moment after they took off, however, Robin frowned.

"Slade, I know you might not be very happy to see Bruce, but this isn't even the way out of the city…"

"Great, we're already lost!" Red sighed.

"We're not _lost_. I got a text from city hall, all our paperwork are done, I thought we'd better pick those up first."

"Yay! It's driving license time!" Red grinned.

"Not until you pass your tests," Slade warned him.

"Dammit!"

"I have our books right here in my bag!" Robin grinned.

"Double dammit! I quit school for a _reason_, people!"

"Yes; stupidity," Slade muttered.

"Hey! _You_ didn't exactly go to college either!"

"I was a bit busy defending our country."

"Yes, yes, we're all terribly under-educated," Robin smirked. "Hey, wait! I'm not! I have some college classes under my belt! Guess I'm the smart one, then," he said, grinning smugly.

"Do we really have to bring him?" Red asked Slade, who looked like he also was considering kicking Robin out.

Their van had two seats in the front, and then two seats with an aisle between them right behind the front seats. In the back there were three seats in a row. As the babies had to travel backwards and someone needed to keep an eye on them, Robin had placed himself in the middle back seat, with Alexandra and Dominic on either side of him and Oliver in the seat just in front, so he could still reach him if necessary. Red was sitting in the front passenger seat next to Slade, though the teens had decided to switch when they stopped for breaks.

Slade stopped in front of City Hall and undid his seatbelt.

"I could go in?" Robin said. "I don't think you're allowed to park here anyway...?"

"Good, remember that one for your test," Slade smirked. "but I'll go, it will be quicker."

"What? Like I can't run an errand?" Robin snorted.

"You, my kitten, would probably go in there and _stand in line_," the man explained.

"Of course I would! Unless they have a number syst- why are you two shaking your heads?"

"Go, Slade, Red smirked. "We don't have all day."

"Sometimes I think that you are worse people than I ever suspected," the hero muttered to himself.

Slade was back before they got a ticket, luckily, and handed out their new ID's, passports, birth certificates, social security cards, the lot.

"Wow, they really came through for us," Robin said.

"Yeah, it's a bit strange that three people born with the name Wilson met up and became an item, though," Red said and then he seemed to think of something because he began snickering.

"What now?" Slade asked. He had taken the driving licenses back until his younger lovers had earned them, but that wasn't what this was about.

"They're creepy and they're kooky," Red started singing, and Robin laughed and joined in.

"Mysterious and spooky, they're all together ooky, the _Wilson Family_!" they sang in unison, if not perfect harmony. "Their house is a museum, where people come to see 'em, they really are a scream, the _Wilson Family_!"

"For my sins…" Slade sighed and started the car up again. "For all my terrible, terrible sins…"

"Da!" Dominic agreed from the backseat.

"Oh, just drive, Lurch," Robin grinned.

* * *

Their first stop was only an hour later when Oliver needed an unexpected nappy change. Usually the kids were very synched up, but no one else seemed to need to go, so they pushed on, now with Robin in the front seat.

"Vegas, Baby!" Red exclaimed a little over two hours later.

"Could you stop saying that every time we see a sign?" Slade begged.

"But we're there soon!"

"Good, I'm starving and the kids should be hungry too at this point," Robin said. "If there's any way to find a place where you can take your family to eat and where Red can gamble away some of his hard earned cash, that would be great."

"In Vegas?" Slade asked. "No problem."

And it wasn't. They picked the 'New York-New York Hotel & Casino', because that is where they were heading, after all. The restaurant they went to was called 'America', which had a huge molded map of the U.S.A on the wall and part of the ceiling.

"Look!" Robin said to the kids. "We're going to drive all the way to the other side!"

"I'm not sure if they would get that concept," Red said, "But it looks cool."

"This feels very patriotic. I like it," Slade smirked. They were shown to a large table and thankfully the restaurants had three high seats three. After that, though, there was some trouble.

"Could you help us heat their bottles?" Robin asked. He had brought the ready-made type of formula in with them, as that was easier than mixing water and powder. He'd also brought enough for three, and one jar of fruit puree just so the triplets wouldn't forget what a spoon was.

"I'm sorry, we are not allowed to heat customer's food, for health and safety reasons," their waiter said. Robin blinked. This was never a problem back in Jump, although to be honest they didn't go out that much, and people knew the kittens there. The man seemed to actually be sorry he wasn't allowed to help though, and smiled at the kids, so Robin gave it a second attempt.

"I see, well… could you maybe bring us large mugs or something with hot tea water? We can put the bottles in there and just heat them up slightly, the kids like the stuff better if it's warm…?"

"I'll see what I can do," the man nodded and handed out the menus. "May I take your drink orders first?"

After the man scurried away Robin broke out the fruit puree and three disposable spoons to distract the kids and they took turns feeding them, looking at the menu and preparing the bottles. At least the milk was room temperature – it didn't need to be stored in a fridge unless it was opened – so hopefully the babies would drink it without too much fuss.

The waiter, however, came through for them, and provided a thick bowl of hot water, perfect to put the bottles into. Robin thanked him thoroughly.

"No problem, Sir," he smiled. "Are you ready to order?"

They were, and Slade –in a patriotic spirit− ordered a grilled New York steak with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Red picked a southern fried chicken which was served with mashed potatoes as well but with coleslaw and a homemade biscuit.

"I hate to break the theme, but I'll have the pan roasted chicken breast… um, it says 'whipped potatoes' is there a difference to mashed ones?"

"Just the level of kinkiness involved preparing them," Red snickered.

"The whipped are creamier−" the waiter began.

"They would be," Red snickered again.

"Oh, quiet you," the hero snorted, but could barely stop himself from giggling as well. "That sounds great, I'll have that, thank you."

"Aga-ba-ga-da?" Oliver spoke up.

"I'm afraid the steak might be a bit much for you, might I recommend the apple sauce there?" the waiter grinned at the baby and gestured to the jar on the table.

"Ada-la-la-la!" Oliver seemed to agree.

"Very good choice, Sir," the server nodded. "I'll be back with your orders shortly."

"I like that guy," Robin grinned once the man was out of earshot.

"He's getting a good tip," Slade agreed.

The bottles were warm by now, so Robin shook them, tested the temperature and then the triplets were smacking away. It took a bit of trickery to keep them entertained while they ate, as they were used to being on the floor playing with their toys, but they pulled through without bothering the other guests too much. Slade and Robin then took over and found a place where they could sit down with the kids on the floor and let them move about a bit, while Red went in search of his fortune. An hour later he was back – without fortune, but happy anyway – and after a diaper change they were off once more. The kids now fell asleep and Robin wasn't far behind either, after the big meal.

* * *

"We didn't get that far today," Robin stated as the sun began to sink.

"Where are we?" Red, who had taken a nap, asked.

"Just outside Cedar City, the hero answered, consulting the GPS on his phone.

"I'd say we only drove for about six hours today, combined," Slade said.

"Well, the Vegas stop was longer than the stops we'll make for the rest of the trip, and we started kinda late too," Robin shrugged. "We'll catch up, but I haven't checked for places to stay at here." His fingers flew over the phone screen. "There's a Hampton Inn on Bentley Boulevard," he reported.

"Sounds good to me," Slade nodded and followed Robin's directions.

They were in luck and the inn actually had plenty of rooms available. They chose one with two queen sized beds and borrowed a cot from the hotel as well. The kittens were still so small that they could sleep three in a row from head to foot in the bed, if needed, and Robin used rolled up towels to put between them so they wouldn't wake each other up.

The room was nice enough with cream walls, a dark red feature wall and red curtains to match. There was a TV, a coffee maker and a bathroom. Nothing spectacular, but the coffee maker, at last, made it easy for them to heat water for the bottles. Robin also breastfed Oliver and then they made sure the kids had more play time, picking out toys for them, while Slade went off to hunt for food… that was, go into the City itself and see what their take out options were. The inn only had a breakfast restaurant, but at least that was included in the price, so they knew that they wouldn't have to bother with finding something to eat in the morning.

Robin yawned. He was really tired from just sitting in a car all day. The kids looked bleary eyed as well… they would drop off early and then he would take a nice hot shower and snuggle up in one of the very comfortable-looking beds… the first day on the road had gone quite smoothly… Or so he thought…

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: Dun-dun- Duuuun! Tiny bit of a cliffy there! In THIS story?! Serious action ahead! ;) Well… actually, there IS… a bit… ;)


	11. Wednesday, 11th of December 2013

**A/N: **The action chapter… well… You'll see… ;)

* * *

**Wednesday, 11th of December 2013 **

"Shut your _fucking kids up_, I'm trying to sleep!"

The shout came from the room next door, followed by a couple of thuds as the man on the other side hammered on the wall.

Robin snarled in the direction of the noise and in his arms Dominic, who had been startled by the shout, cried louder. All three kittens had been wailing on and off for hours, and it was now after midnight. Robin understood that they disturbed their neighbors, but they were really trying everything they could.

"Sit here a while, princess, I'm going to go and talk to that man," Slade growled, placing his sniffling daughter in her carry cot.

"No, Slade, don't!" Robin said, stepping between him and the door. "Be careful! This isn't Jump, we can't just make things 'go away' here!"

"I can make things 'go away' anywhere, especially people," the man muttered.

"No, don't-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The new scream through the wall had poor Alexandra practically jump. The babies were not used to aggressive voices, and it was clear that she got scared. Of course, she also began crying again.

"I'm just going to explain to him that he's not helping. Calmly," Slade told them, and gently moved Robin out of the way.

"Not _too_ calmly, I hope," Red muttered, trying to hush Oliver.

"Red, I'm worried, I don't want him to do anything stupid…" Robin mumbled, his ears drooping as much as his kid's were.

"Shhh, he's not completely insane…" Red said and gave the other teen a one armed hug. "He'll clean the blood up."

"Funny," Robin muttered.

They could hear a few voices on the other side and then there was a thump and a curse before Slade showed up again.

"My negotiation skills might be a bit rusty…" he admitted.

"What happened?" Robin asked worriedly.

"I tried to reason with him, but he annoyed me. I might have punched him in the face… and he might have threatened to call the police."

"Shit, we have to leave! Right now!" Red gasped.

"I'll go talk to him," Robin sighed. "I'll try to calm him down."

He went over to the next door over and knocked politely.

"I'm gonna call the cops!" the man inside roared as he threw the door open. He was a big, bulky guy in stained, smelly clothes who's eyes clearly showed that he wasn't 'all there'. "Who the hell are you?" he added when he saw that it wasn't Slade again.

"I'm the mother of the children in there-" Robin said soothingly.

"'_Mother_'?" the man sneered. "You're fucking _queers,_ aren't you? Fucking sickos!"

"It's their first night away from home, and they also got a bit of a tummy ache…" Robin continued calmly. "I understand that it's very annoying, but when you yell and bang at the wall like that, you're scaring them, and-"

"Yeah? Well maybe you fags should stop raping your kids?"

Robin returned to their bedroom a moment later.

"Did you get him to calm down?" Slade asked.

"Yes," Robin said and studied his bruised knuckled. "He's very calm now… he'll stay that way for a few hours at least."

"You go, mom!" Red snickered, but Robin went directly to his laptop.

"It's no joking matter, he is going to call the police once he wakes up, and no, Slade, you can't kill him. I noticed a security camera out in the hall. Red, I need your special skills. Slade, you have to set up a few things in his room… I'll take Oliver and Dominic with me, Red, can you keep an eye on Alexandra, until Slade comes back and then do your thing? Both of you need to hurry, though."

"Of course, but what's the plan?" Red shrugged. Robin told them, and then they quickly got to work.

* * *

When Robin reached the reception, with one carry cot in each hand, the kids were only whining softly. He smiled apologetically at the woman behind the counter and popped the kids up on it, hoping some of their cuteness would shine through despite their current mood.

"I'm so sorry to bother you this late," he said. "Are you the only staff here right now?"

"Yes, it's the dog watch, I'm afraid," the woman smiled, cooing at the babies a bit. "How can I help you? Are they ill? Do you need a doctor?"

"They are just teething," Robin sighed, "and this is their first whole day away from home, so I think their tummies got a bit upset as well in all the excitement… unfortunately it seems I forgot to pack anything that might help them, you don't happen to have some Tylenol, do you? I'll pay for it, of course!"

"Not officially, but… let me check my purse, I know I had some when I was sick a few weeks ago…"

"You're an angel, thank you!" Robin beamed.

"Oh, no problem I'm not supposed to leave my desk unless there's an emergency, but if you could wait here?"

"I'll keep an eye on things," Robin nodded, because he intended to.

As soon as the woman had disappeared out back Robin dashed behind the counter and luckily her computer hadn't gone into lock-down mode yet. She had been playing candy crush, he saw, but what else was there to do here in the middle of the night? The booking system was easy enough to understand for him, and he quickly checked what he needed to, making a few, quick changes.

He heard her footsteps coming closer and quickly returned to his old spot again.

"Here, I had four left, would that be enough?" she asked.

"Yes, that would be great, thank you, how much?"

"No, no, they are free, I just don't want these sweethearts to be sad," she smiled.

"You are too kind," Robin gushed, remind himself that another large tip was due here. "Thank you again! I'm afraid we might have disturbed people tonight with all the crying…"

"I haven't gotten any calls of complaints, at least, and staying at an hotel is a bit like living at an apartment; you shouldn't have to put up with loud music and parties and such, but children playing or crying…" the woman shrugged, indicating that that was part of life.

"Yes, well… I know we disturbed at least one person… he kept banging on the wall and cursing at us…" it wasn't hard for Robin to look uncomfortable. "He… he didn't sound sober so I didn't dare to go over an apologize, but he scared the kids…"

"Would you like me to call a police officer? Is he still troubling you?"

"No, no, he suddenly stopped, I think he passed out from the booze," Robin said, "Hopefully there won't be any trouble in the morning, though…"

"Well, my shift ends at nine, so just come to me if he should start again!" the woman said firmly. "Some people who stay here are just…" she shuddered and looked disgusted.

"Thank you, we will," Robin smiled. "We're going to try to get these little terrorists to bed now, and hopefully we won't wake anyone else up."

"I hope you'll have a good night!" the woman smiled and waved at the babies who actually seemed to have calmed down a little more.

Once back in their room he met up with the others.

"Did you manage to fix things on your ends?" he asked.

"Not a problem," Slade smirked, and Red nodded as well.

"Good," Robin grinned.. just one thing left," he said and sat down at his laptop again. "I'm going to be a rather bad boy now, kids. Look away…"

After everything was set it was almost one thirty and they all sat crammed together on one bed, with one kid in each lap. They had wondered if it was all the new smells and sounds that made the kids cry as well, and having them all close together like that seemed to help. One after the other the babies nodded off. Robin was sitting in the middle and fell asleep too with his head on Slade's shoulder. Red in turn rested his head on the hero's shoulder and began snoring softly a few minutes later.

* * *

Robin was woken gently by Slade at seven-thirty the next morning.

"They are changed but hungry," the man reported. "We'll feed them and go to breakfast. The guy next door is already moving around in there."

"Okay," Robin mumbled, glad he could sleep in the car later.

When they turned up at the hot complimentary breakfast it was with three happy, laughing children who didn't look like they could cause any trouble if they so tried. One who _was _causing trouble, however, was the man next door.

"And the fag's damn kids cried all night and then they attacked me!" he was yelling at the receptionist. The same one, Robin noticed happily, as last night. "I demand you call the police!"

"I have," the woman frowned. "If you would calm down, Sir-?"

"You don't tell me what to do, you fucking bitch!"

"Sir, I think you might be a bit… tired."

Robin almost laughed to himself. The man was still half drunk, that was what he was. Robin had noticed the smell last night – it wasn't that hard – and Slade had… helped.

The mercenary took over at that point and ushered Robin, Red, and the kids into the breakfast room before going up to the counter.

"I heard something about a disturbance, I wondered if it was about our children? We really would like to apologize, they weren't feeling all that well last night after a long day in the car," he said, using his most reasonable voice.

"Fucking fags!" the drunk man snarled.

"I don't think me and my husband's sexuality is any of your concern, Sir, but if we disturbed you, I am sorry. Were you the one shouting and banging at the wall? It sounded like you were even throwing things in there-"

"You know damn well it was! You hit me!"

Slade blinked and acted completely taken aback, like he had never even entertained the _thought_ of physically harming anyone. "I did what?"

"You and your little wife!"

"What? Robin? Hit you? I… this is ridiculous… Sir, you seem intoxicated, are you sure you weren't dreaming or something?"

"Dreaming, my ass!"

"Ma'am, maybe you should call the police, this sounds troublesome," Slade asked the woman.

"They are on their way, Sir. Please don't worry, I'm sure this all can be resolved quickly.

"Good. Would it be alright if I joined my family for breakfast, or would you like me to stay here with you?" Slade asked, giving the man an obvious glance to make it clear that he suggested that he would stay for the woman's protection.

"Thank you, please- oh, the manager just arrived, I will be fine," she smiled.

"Very well… but call if you need me," Slade let her know in that kind of special voice which made Robin blush. It worked on receptionists too.

They saw the police arrive and apparently question the man while they were eating in peace and quiet, with the kids happily playing on a blanket next to the table. After a while an officer approached them.

"We have an report about a disturbance here last night, would it be alright if we asked you some questions?"

"Of course, Sir," Slade nodded. "We're on a car trip to New York, however, so will it take long?"

"I wouldn't think so Sir, we just need to confirm a few things… So last night, I understand that the children were a bit… fussy?"

"I'd say they were yelling their heads off, officer," Robin said apologetically and lifted up Oliver. It was slightly evil to use his child like this, but no one could resist those huge blue eyes and happy disposition. Oliver immediately started talking to the cop, just as Robin hoped he would.

"Well you seem to be a happy little fellow this morning?" the man grinned at him.

"Ababababa-aaaah!" Oliver agreed.

"Yes, well… not last night, I'm afraid. You see, they are teething and-" Robin again gave several perfectly understandable reasons for why the kids had acted like they did, even though Raven had taken part of the teething-thing and they hadn't shown any signs of their gums bothering them. Still, it was a reason most people could understand and sympathize with, especially parents. Robin didn't know if the policeman was a father, but he did have a wedding ring and looked old enough to be.

"I remember when my daughter cut her teeth, not fun…" the man nodded. "But about last night, did you leave your rooms at any time? Any of you?"

"Yes, the man next door kept screaming through the wall, scaring the kids," Robin sighed, "also, I couldn't find any painkillers for them, so I took two of them for a stroll to the reception, thinking it might calm them down a little... but I think I was the only one that left, right guys?"

Slade and Red nodded. Red _had_ in fact left, through the window, after Slade had returned from his task. After avoiding all the other cameras, like the pro he was, he found the security server where all the footage was saved in case it would be needed. He had plugged in Robin's laptop and done a bit of creative editing, using the hero's video analyzing software. The footage now only showed Robin leaving and coming back from the reception, nothing more than that. If the movie was very carefully analyzed by experts, they might have been able to find something wrong with it, but Red had been able to freeze the frame while keeping the date and time running, making it all look very good…

"Thank you, we're waiting for someone to finish going through the security footage," the cop nodded. "The disturbances from your neighbor… what did they sound like?"

"It was actually quite awful for a while, it sounded like he was thrashing the room," Robin said, made sure to lower his ears so he looked as scared and cute as possible. If he could use Oliver like that he could use himself too, after all. "The kids where really upset.. I mean, I understand it couldn't have been fun having to listen to three children crying… do you know if we bothered anyone else?"

"No, the rooms next to yours were unoccupied. People upstairs reported hearing some crying and shouting, but couldn't be more specific than that."

Another police officer walked up to them talked privately with 'their' cop for a moment. Robin's sensitive hearing had no problem picking up what he was saying, however.

"Nothing on the cameras, but the guy's room is trashed and he had been drinking a lot. He says he only had a drink or two, but we found an almost completely empty whiskey bottle in the room. He'd ordered some pretty violent movies and hard core porn too. Oh, and he has a record; he's wanted in Cali for assault. The guy claims it's an old case that was settled, but not according to the computer… He insists that the big guy and the small one came to his room, one after the other, and that the small guy knocked him out." At that point both cops turned to glance in Robin's direction, taking in his slender build – under the thick long sleeved sweater he had put on this morning his muscles weren't visible – short stature and very innocent looking expression.

"Yeah right, that brute was knocked down by a kitten," 'their' cop chuckled quietly.

"We think it was the bedside table, it looks like he spend the night on the floor next to it. One of the bruises looks like it came from a fist, but he could have gotten in a fight earlier last night, who knows? We're looking it up, but no one came knocking on his door, that much is clear."

"Thank you, I'll tell these people that they can be on their way, then," the first policeman said and right afterwards he gave them that very same message directly.

Slade paid, leaving a special tip for the receptionist which Robin raved to her manger about how amazingly nice and professional she had been – without mentioning that she had left the counter, of course.

Soon they were on their way again.

"They didn't even take our names," Red suddenly realized. "Did they?"

"No, but the hotel had all of that information, after all," Slade said. "Still, I like small town cops."

"Oh, hush, they were nice!" Robin objected.

"Did you add the porn-order to his room? I thought you would only see if we had any neighbors," Red snickered.

"That I did," Robin smirked. "I just wanted to make sure everyone would think he was a creep."

"And the assault charge he was wanted for?" Slade asked.

"Oh, I didn't add that!" Robin objected. "I just… reactivated it."

* * *

_"Denver, the last dinosaur! He's my friend and a whole lot more!"_ Red sang in the backseat to the kid's delight.

"We're just going to Denver, what does that has to do with a dinosaur?" Slade groaned, possibly because Red only knew that part of the lyrics and had been singing it since Robin told them where they would soon be stopping for the night.

"It was an old cartoon about kids finding a dino," Robin chuckled. "Can it, Red, Lurch is getting annoyed."

"Aw, your other daddy is no fun, you're lucky to have me," the redhead grinned at his groupies.

"I have to wonder what the lizard did to the kids if they were 'a whole lot more' than friends?" Slade smirked.

"Argh! Childhood ruined!" Red complained.

"Consider it payback." the mercenary snorted.

"For what?!"

"For ruining my children's taste in music."

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: Was Robin too "evil" or just the right amount or not enough? ;)


	12. Thursday, 12th of December 2013

A/N: I don't always remember where I got ideas from, but one in this chapter I got from **OptimisticEmotion **so thank you! :)

* * *

**Thursday, 12th of December 2013 **

Robin woke up closely entangled with Red X the next morning. They had again gotten a room with two queen sized beds, which seemed to be standard for family rooms, but the motel they had ended up staying at wasn't even close to the inn from the night before. This was, to put it gently, a dump. But they had chosen to press on as far as they could get as the kids fell asleep in the car and had managed to overshoot the place Robin had planned for them to stay in with just a few miles before the triplets woke up, hungry and wet. That meant stopping and finding a room quickly and… well… at least the place had a bathroom. It was a bathroom neither of them wanted to spend any time in, but at least the toilet flushed. Kind of.

It was still early, the phone propped up against the broken lamp on the nightstand said four A.M, but there had been a noise of some kind. Robin's ears twitched and then he heard it again; a soft mumbling. He lifted his head, looking over towards the babies in their carry cots –there was no way Robin was even going to ask for a crib in this place – and heard Red chuckling softly.

"Is that…?" Robin asked.

"Yup. He talks in his sleep too," the thief grinned. They both shared a quiet laugh and then snuggled back down under the thin covers for a few hours of more sleep.

* * *

The kids were on the floor on their play mat – there was no way Robin was going to let them sit on the carpet, which was most likely filthy− as the adults were dressing and tried to wash up as much as they could.

"I don't care where we stop next, but if it doesn't have a luxurious suite with a huge bathroom I'm not going to stay there," Red snorted.

"Oh, look who got all posh all of a sudden," Slade smirked. "This is at least ten times better than where you used to spend the nights."

"That's because you have spoilt me, darling," the thief grinned.

Robin saw what happened next out of the corner of his eye. Red was moving their bag and something brown and black ran out from under it. It ran right past the kids, and three pairs of ears pricked up in interest. Alexandra was working on her crawling and suddenly a hand had slammed down on top of the brown thing.

"A cockroach! She caught a cockroach!" Robin exclaimed. "Not in your mouth! NOT IN YOUR MOUTH!" he threw himself half way across the room to keep the little predator from eating the nasty bug and she got very upset about being stopped. Robin practically threw her into Slade's arms and poured hand sanitizer half way up her arm before cleaning her hand furiously. "We're getting out of here right now! Red, get the others off the floor!"

"But their food…?"

"We'll stop somewhere soon, just please let's get out of here?"

"Like I said, we need luxury now…" Red muttered.

"Yeah, I really wouldn't mind that either," Robin agreed.

"Spoiled brats. In the war you-"

"Slade, just carry the luggage," the hero snapped.

"It's a 'yes, dear' moment again," the redhead explained.

"Yes, dear," Slade sighed.

They didn't get luxury for a while, though, because they had to stop at a nearby gas station to feed the kids and themselves. Even Slade looked like he wanted to complain about gas station breakfast. When they took off the kids were in better mood than the adults…

Robin got on the phone with Alfred and then Nick, telling them about their 'adventures' so far, although he told Alfred a whole lot more details… After getting to vet for a while he felt better about things.

"Let's study!" He told Red X.

"But mooooom!"

"Don't call me 'mom'," Robin growled. "I'm not your parent. Now hit the books!"

"Well that sounds like my mom!" Red smirked. "Well… if she had ever cared about me… or school… or anything like that."

The thief always clammed up like crazy when it came to his past. Robin thought maybe Slade knew, not because the redhead had told him anything but because Slade liked to find things out… and knew the right questions to ask the right people. The man didn't share the info, though, and Robin respected that. It was Red's secrets, and if he felt like it he'd tell them one day. The hero couldn't help but prod, though.

"She wasn't… a very good parent then?" he asked carefully.

"What exactly are we supposed to study?" Red said, changing the subject.

"All of it," Robin grinned, taking the hint and followed the other teen's lead.

"That can't be done! You can't learn a _whole_ book!"

The next hour was spent more trying to convince Red that studying was in fact possible, than doing any actual studying.

"But you already know a whole lot of these things!" Robin tried in the end. "Like traffic signs! Like this!" he pointed to a stop sign.

"Yeah! It's hammer time!"

"Okay, now you're being stupid on purpose," the hero snorted.

"He wasn't being that the whole time?" Slade asked. "Dear lord, let's get Oliver into a special school at once."

"Ollie is smart as a whippet," Red exclaimed.

"It's 'smart as a _whip_'," Robin groaned.

"I'm _pretty _sure a dog is smarter," the thief snorted.

"Thank god you're pretty," the hero grinned at him over his shoulder, as he was riding shot gun again.

"Red is a very smart and competent young man," Slade, unexpectedly, defended the thief. "He just has a problem with commitment and discipline."

"Hey, here I am, young and sexy as hell, stuck with three kids!" Red snorted. "I'd say I'm committed! … For life."

The smile on Robin's face slipped off and he turned around in his seat. Red didn't notice and began distracting the kids, but Robin stayed quiet for now. Was that really how Red felt? Trapped? His life ruined? When he had found out that he was expecting, there had never been any talk about whether they would keep the baby or not… he knew Red had been nervous about becoming a father, hell Robin had been nervous _too_, and yes he still wanted to do more than be a mom… sometimes, maybe, in his darkest moments, he could feel a tiny bit trapped, or at least _limited_ by being a parent, but it was the best thing in the world at the same time… was Red regretting it, though? Did he want out? Was he going to leave them? The pain welled up in him, but he tried to keep it all inside, because would bringing it up make him seem weak and insecure and pathetic? Had it just been a joke? Was he too sensitive? Or was there something else behind it? Something deeper…?

"Do you… do you really not want to be a father?" Robin asked softly. He felt the van swerve just a tiny bit.

"What?" Slade asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Not you, Red…"

"Huh?" Red said from the far back,. He hadn't heard him.

"I'm pulling over for this," Slade said. "It's time for a lunch break anyway."

"What's going on?" the redhead asked, studying the two serious faces in the front. "Am I in trouble?"

He had to wait a bit for an explanation, though, but then Slade pulled in at a drive in restaurant. He stopped before going into the actual drive through.

"Get out you two. I'm going to order and then park at the far end of the lot over there," he said and nodded. The restaurant seemed to be part of a mall-complex and the lot was rather big. "You sort this out and get your asses over there when you're done."

"I don't even know what I did!" Red complained, but followed Slade's order.

Robin could see that the other teen was upset and a bit hurt, so as soon as they stood eye to eye he gently butted his head against the side of Red's.

"I'm sorry," the hero said gently, "but I just… something you said… I need to know: do you wish you weren't a parent? Is this too much for you?"

"I…" Red gaped like a fish. "This is stupid! Of course it's too much for me! It's too much for all of us, even Slade! Dear god, three kids at once and you are just barely seventeen, kitten!"

"So you want out? You want to leave?" Robin steeled himself.

"No! Robin, listen to me," the other teen first grabbed him by the shoulders and then let his hands slide up toward the back of his neck, grabbing the skin there gently. That was something only Slade usually did; it was both a dominant and calming gesture. "Do I wish I had been a bit older before having a family? Yes. If I could have these exact same kids in five years or so, that would have been great… but would I want other kids in five years instead of the triplets? No, not a chance! They are ours! I can't believe you would doubt me in this! Am I really such a lousy dad? I know I'm nothing like Slade, but-"

"Like Slade?" Robin blinked.

"Yes! He knows everything, can get anything done, is always in control… he's never insecure or scared he's doing the wrong things or-"

"Yes-" Robin put his fingers to Red's lips softly. "Yes, he is. Insecure, I mean… I've seen him looking through the baby books for things, and he was just as terrible at changing diapers as we were in the beginning, remember?"

"… That was a _lot _of ruined diapers…" Red recalled.

"And he put the onsies on the wrong way around…" Robin smiled fondly. "He's in deep water too, and you are a great father! I admit… sometimes I feared you wouldn't be, that you would be out a lot, looking for more fun things to do… or that you wouldn't care about any rules we decided on… but you're great! All the kids love you and trust you and I do too, I swear! I just… when you said that, I wondered if we were losing you. I don't want to lose you, I love you!"

"I love you too, kitten," Red whispered roughly and kissed him right there on the side of the drive through lane. "I love you so, so much! And you gave me a family, something I've always wished I had! You have no idea how much that means to me!"

"I wish… I know it's difficult for you, but sometimes I wish that... that you would tell us a bit more about… about your past?" Robin mumbled. "I know it can't be easy, and maybe it doesn't matter at all anymore, but…"

"Is that why you have trouble trusting me? Because I haven't told you my sob story?" Red asked. He didn't sound annoyed, just a bit sad.

"I just… what happens in our childhood _do_ shape us," the hero told him softly. "And maybe, one day, you'll need help with it, and I won't see it, because I won't know…?"

"Then I will tell you. Both of you. But not today, okay? Give me a little bit of time?"

"Of course!" Robin melted against his mate and clung to him almost desperately. "I love you, you bastard."

"Yes, well, as a preview, I'm pretty sure I am one, yes," the thief snickered.

They kissed again, ignoring a car or two which was honking at them, and then they sauntered across the parking lot with their arms around each other.

"Good," Slade said when he saw them. "You made up. Now you have a dirty diaper each to change and I'm warning you; they are lethal."

After that, the bottles which Slade had warmed in mugs of hot water were done, and they all sat down on a blanket on the grassy area next to the parking lot.

The kids were eating and the adults were trying to feed themselves as well in between.

"Where had you planned that we would spend the night? Which city?" Slade asked Robin.

"Omaha, I found a motel there that seemed promising."

"Use that phone of yours and find the best hotel in the city, book a suite," the man told him. "We've deserved it."

"But are you sure we'll make it there?" the teen asked.

"We'll make it," the man promised.

Not long after they had gotten back in the car, the hero grinned. "That's one suite booked."

"Where?"

"Hilton Omaha Hotel, and it should be good, it has four stars. I made sure we could check in late if we needed to."

"Luxury, here we come," Slade grinned.

"_Hot shower,_ here I come," Red agreed.

"I just want to come," the hero leered. "Do you think they have room service for that?"

"I think we can arrange that anyway," Slade promised.

* * *

Slade got them to the hotel well before the sun went down and the rooms were gorgeous. For the first time they could set up the kid's cribs – the hotel had provided three – in the second bedroom. Robin had the baby monitors at hand, though, of course.

They each took turn showering, they ate an amazing dinner ordered through room service and the kids got to play themselves tired, free from their carry cots, which they were beginning to tire of, Robin could tell.

Soon the triplets were sleeping and it was the parent's turn to play. Robin didn't know if being half cat meant he actually had a bigger libido than he would have had normally, but he was glad that his mates could keep up with him.

"Why did we set up the cribs in the room with the king sized bed, we could have all fit on that for the night?" Robin realized. This room had two doubles, which were smaller than queen size wouldn't hold all three of them at once… not while sleeping, anyway.

"We didn't think that through," Slade admitted, but the man was more interested in what they were about to do than their sleeping arrangements.

They made love quietly and gently that night, and Robin felt like it was what they all needed right now. After a few days cooped up in a car together they were tired and it was too easy to get annoyed about the small, stupid things… This was like one, long, wordless apology.

Once it was over, Robin felt incredibly sleepy, but he was barely clinging on to the edge of the bed.

"Someone has to move, or we're going to end up on the floor…" he murmured.

"Well, we have a bed each," Slade pointed out. "You can take the king size if you want to, you like to stretch out, after all." Yes, Robin 'stretching out' and, sometimes, sleeping the wrong way around on the bed or on top of his mates, was the reason they had a specially made bed at home, much larger than a king size.

"Oh, that would be nice for once," Robin grinned. "Night then!" he added and padded off to the other bedroom where he checked on the kids before, quietly, slipping in between the cool, crisp sheets.

He sighed happily and stretched out like a starfish in the middle of the bed. After a while he turned over, closed his eyes, and got ready to sleep. He could faintly smell his children from across the room, the sweet scent of milk and _baby_, which was so unique. He smiled and, as he was so tired, expected to doze off at any moment. But he didn't. He turned over again, and again, before snorting softly and just giving up.

Slade raised his head from his bed as Robin came back into the room.

"Something wrong?"

"No, I just need to borrow something."

"Another pillow? A blanket?"

"No, you two," Robin grinned and pulled the man up, grabbing Red's hand on the way out as well.

"Wait? Wut?" the thief mumbled, half asleep, but followed along obediently anyway and soon Robin was happy again, between the two men.

"It's not too crowded for you, is it?" he whispered to Slade.

"Not at all. Goodnight, kitten," the man chuckled. Robin drifted off as the man spoke.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: I want to make something clear in case people misunderstand: Robin isn't insecure or needy here, he's simply following his instincts. We all find it difficult to sleep if something isn't "right", after all… ;)


	13. Friday, 13th of December 2013

**A/N**: Will this be a lucky day or not? ;)

* * *

**Friday, 13th of December 2013**

"I'm boooored…" Robin complained in the car the next day.

"Then let me just drive on, and I'll get you to New York in less than eighteen hours," Slade suggested.

"No, that's not safe… besides the kittens are getting grumpier, I don't want them wailing for the last six hours just because we won't stop to let them play and sleep…" Robin sighed.

"Well, maybe we can at least cut one over-night stop out. We're staying somewhere close to Chicago tonight, right?"

"Yes, outside, somewhere, There's no reason to go into the city," Robin nodded, consulting his GPS.

"Well, let's push on and then maybe we can arrive at Nicks and Nate's tomorrow night instead of on Sunday?"

"It would be rather late, though… but alright, let's see how that goes," Robin said.

It went badly.

"What is that sound?" Red asked half way to Chicago. They had just entered Iowa city, and was planning to pass through it too.

"Huh?" Robin said, having dozed off. "Wait, what's that sound?"

"I don't know, I'm looking for a gas station to pull into," Slade told them through gritted teeth.

"Well, this is fitting! You know what date it is, right? Please car, don't break down on us! You're new!" Red pleaded.

"We'll turn you into so many tin cans if you do," Robin threatened. "By hand!"

"It's cute how you seem to think it can hear and understand you," Slade smirked. "That's it, I'll pull in here."

"'Coral ridge mall'?" Robin read from a sign. "Doesn't sound like a good place to fix cars…?"

"I don't want it to break down completely, at least we might see what the problem is."

"Look!" Red said pointing to another sign. "The 'Iowa Children's Museum' is around back, can we go?"

"That sounds interesting," Robin said. "If we're going to be stuck here for a while, I mean…"

"It sounds like you are going to leave the dirty job up to me?" Slade pointed out.

"Well, we don't even have our driving licenses yet!" Red smirked.

"You could both take a car apart and put it together again, no problem," Slade snorted.

"Yeah, I did that with the Batmobile once. Don't tell Bruce!" the hero said.

"But you're not going to help?"

"Of course, if you_ need _help," Robin smiled.

"Get out of here," Slade snorted.

"Let's take their stroller, that will at least get them out of their cots for a while," Robin said, and, after he and Red had unpacked half the car to get at the folded up stroller, the kids seemed happy to take a ride in it.

When they rounded the mall they got quite a big surprise. The museum looked like it was made of huge building blocks in bright colors.

"Wow… I wonder what kind of place this is… I mean, do they have like old toys or something?" Red asked.

But no, it turned out that 'museum' might be the wrong word here, a better one was 'play house'. It was full of all kinds of stuff for kids all ages to do, but Red and Robin quickly ended up at 'ImaginAcres'; a 'barnyard' with plastic vegetables, an equally plastic cow and sheep in a barn and a slide which the kids were a bit too small for yet. Still, they enjoyed 'riding' on the sheep, and Robin tried to teach Oliver the name of the different vegetables.

Watching other kids play was probably the most exciting for the triplets, though. Robin bit his lower lip and pulled at Red's arm.

"Do you think we should have them enrolled in a kindergarten or something?" he whispered. "They need to learn to get along with other children, after all."

"Maybe there are playgroups and things…?" Red said. "If you're okay with it? I mean, you used to have problems with strangers around the kids…?"

"Yeah, it makes my instincts go a bit… bonkers…" Robin agreed. "But it's so much better now, so…"

"Then we'll find a playgroup to take them to when we get home. They can make a few friends before they start school and such."

"Oh, dear god, my kids are going to start school… and grow up… and leave me…" Robin groaned.

"We'll just have more of them, then," Red smirked.

"Are you_ insane_? Only if _you_ are pregnant," Robin huffed.

After a while they got a call from Slade saying it was just the spark plugs and that he had fixed the problem. As it was time to eat anyway, they decided to meet up inside the mall. After boycotting the Chick-fil-A because of the company's anti-same sex marriage ideas – Red and Robin kissed in front of it− they ate at Arby's instead. Maybe not the fine dining of yesterday, but it got them through.

As they were about to leave, three young women rushed up to them.

"You're the Kitty Litter!" the first one gushed.

"Are you cosplaying?" the second one wanted to know.

"No, can't you see they're real?! Can we take a picture, please?!" the third one almost shrieked.

"'Kitty litter'?" Slade blinked.

"Um… it's what they call the babies online…" Robin mumbled. "Um, yeah, you can take a photo, but only of the kids, okay?" he agreed, and tried to relax a little.

"They are so cute! What are their names?"

"How old are they?"

"Can they talk yet?"

The attention meant more people dared to edge forward. Eventually the inevitable happened.

"Hi, I'm a reporter from Iowa City Press-Citizen, how about an interview?" a man with a camera around his neck asked.

"I'm sorry, we're on our way to Chicago, we need to go," Slade said firmly and led his family to the 'safety' of the parking lot.

When they took off they had lost over two hours in total.

"Well, at least the kids got to play a bit," Robin sighed.

"Why did you tell them we were going to Chicago?" Red asked the mercenary.

"Because we will drive in that direction and if it gets out people might look for us there, and not expecting us to drive on," the man said. "Half truths sometimes works better than lies. If I had said that we're going to New York, though, we might have had reporters on the lookout for us the whole way."

"Oliver seemed like he wanted to give that interview, though," Red grinned.

"Well, he always has something to say, don't you?" his mother cooed at him.

"Mama!" the boy said, "Boob-boom!"

"And I _just_ turned onto the motorway…" Slade sighed.

"It's Friday the thirteenth," the thief reminded him.

* * *

There was no way they would be able to go further than Chicago today, so they ended up stopping at the motel Robin had actually planned for them to stay at. Of course it was fully booked, though, but they found another fairly decent one down the road.

"We don't have any family rooms left, you can have one double and one single?" the woman in the reception said.

"Friday the thirteenth," Red muttered again.

"Are the rooms close?" Robin asked.

"I have two just across the hall from each other."

"Well, I'm not getting the kids back in the van, they will just start crying," Slade, who had Alexandra on his arm, said.

"We'll take them, thank you," Robin sighed, knowing the man was right. He held Oliver himself, as the kids were in a cuddle mood and he didn't blame them after being 'isolated' in the cots for so many hours a day. Talking and playing with them didn't really count, they were used to be carried and hugged and such much more, the poor things.

They found their rooms and had to decide who was going to sleep where.

"I'll stay with the kids and one of you," Robin decided. After last night he knew sleeping alone wasn't his thing anymore, and he preferred to have the kids in the room too, in a strange place like this.

"Slade can have the single, it's better if he gets a full nights rest, maybe?" Red said.

"I don't_ need_ it, though," Slade objected.

"You're our driver, some rest won't hurt," Robin smiled. "But first I will need you wet, hot and naked in the bathroom."

"Oh?"

"Yes, the kids really needs a bath," Robin grinned.

"Tease."

The motel room only had a shower, so Robin sat down on the shower floor and held each kitten up, while Slade and Red took turns helping to soap them up and shampoo their hair. It didn't go without a few tears when soap got into an eye and water into an ear, but all in all it worked out, and in the end the kittens sat naked on the floor, swept in a towel each, waiting for their dinner to be ready.

"I guess I should go look for something for us to eat too… what do you want?" Slade asked.

"I'm so tired of fast food it's not even funny…" Robin muttered. "So anything, really… maybe just a sandwich."

"Yeah, me too, I don't care. I'm gonna call Alfred and tell him I love him," Red sighed.

"You love his cooking," Robin pointed out.

"Same thing."

"Hear-hear," Slade agreed. "Now, what the heck do we have clean for the kids to wear?"

Their bag of dirty clothes was considerable bigger than the one with clean ones, Robin had to admit.

"We're going to have to ask Cecilia if we can use her washing machine…" he concluded.

"With four kids and three adults, I bet you she has more than one," Slade chuckled. "But yes, I wouldn't want to arrive in Gotham with three kids dressed in dirty rags. Bruce would take something very personal of mine and nail it to a wall."

"Aw, that would be a pity…" the hero smirked.

"And frankly, not that decorative…" Red snickered.

"Boom-boom!" Oliver smiled smugly as a certain odor began spreading in the room.

"Bruce Roan Oliver! _Again_? What the heck have we been feeding you?" Robin groaned.

"And on the towel too…" Red groaned.

"Better get the other monsters into their diapers before we have more accidents," Slade said and got to work.

"Friday the thirteenth!"

"Stop saying that, Red, I'm starting to fear the roof will fall in or something…"

"Someone might slash our tires?"

"Then someone will end up slashed themselves," Slade growled. "There. Baby secure. Food next."

"Yes. Big man go hunt. Me defend cave!" the thief grunted.

"Me nurse offspring!" Robin added in the same style.

Slade just looked at them, sighed and shook his head.

* * *

When Slade returned with a few bags smelling of something deep fried, the kids and Robin were all sitting together in bed reading. The hero pointed to different things in the book, saying their names and, sometimes, the kids tried to imitate the sound. Now and then they got to something they recognized – like 'ball'− and all three would get excited, chanting the word.

"They aren't sleepy yet?" the man asked.

"They are getting there." Robin smiled, looking at the one indicator he could always trust: the angle of the kittens ears. The more they drooped, the more tired they were. He started purring, knowing that the sound would get the kids to nod off quicker, and soon they could be placed in the borrowed motel crib.

They ate, speaking quietly so not to wake the kittens up, and then Slade left for his own room.

Robin and Red got ready to turn in too, and then the cat boy snickered.

"You know what you should do?" he asked the thief. "Go over there and offer him room service."

"He would really, really love that," Red chuckled.

"Yeah, he really would."

"Are you sure you don't want to, though?"

"I'm not feeling it right now, I'm just tired," the younger teen shrugged.

"I'm going to do it!" the redhead grinned and left. Robin could hear the knock and the call of "Roomservice!" through the wall.

When Red returned half an hour or so later, Robin grinned and snuggled up to him.

"Mmm… perfect. Now you smell like both of you."

"Little minx, you used me!" Red gasped.

"Well, hopefully you got something out of it too?" the hero asked innocently.

"That I did," the other teen had to admit. "Night, my evil mastermind…"

"Night, my perfect-smelling body pillow," Robin purred back with a grin.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: if you're thinking of getting Robin a scented candle for Christmas, you now know what it has to smell off. Good luck finding one.


	14. Saturday, 14th of December 2013

**A/N: **I'm still uploading the chapters way before I post them (it's the 11th here now) so… um… never know what to say. Not much left of the road-trip, hope it hasn't been too boring…?

Edit: Ha! Got something to say! Apparently the alert-system didn't work yesterday (Friday the 13th! Go figure!) but hopefully it works again now. Or not. Anyway, as long as nothing ELSE goes wrong, I'll update every day, so you can always check for an update, I guess.. most likely before 10 in the morning here in Sweden (usually around 9-ish)

* * *

**Saturday, 14th of December 2013 **

"A bright and early start; we're getting better at this," Slade said smugly as they pulled out from the motel's parking lot the next morning.

"Well, that's thanks to me, I have Romani blood after all," Robin claimed. "Traveling is in my genes."

"Oh, so you'd rather just move on, then, and don't stop in New York and Gotham?" Red asked from the back.

"Hell, no! I need a proper house right_ now_!" the hero stated.

"If we really push on we might get to Nick and Nate's tonight, after all?" Slade said.

"We said we'd be there on Sunday, but if the traffic and everything else flows really well, then maybe… But I'm not going to impose on them in the middle of the night, they have kids too… it's better we stop in a motel in that case and arrive early tomorrow instead," Robin said.

"What's one more night on the road?" Red shrugged. "How long are we staying at their place, by the way?"

"The show is on Monday, and then they invited us to stay for Tuesday as well, just to rest up, and then we'll leave for Gotham on Wednesday morning, as early as we can, because we really need to get there in one go."

"It's not that far…?" Slade said.

"No, but the traffic is usually bad." Robin shrugged. "It still takes a couple of hours, and we know by now that there might be other surprises along the road as well…" he added in a mutter.

"Yes, we sure learned that," Slade said and chuckled. "But all in all, it's gone pretty well, hasn't it?"

"Yes… but on the way home I will let you drive round the clock if we can," Robin sighed. "Almost another week of this? No, thank you. Next time we'll fly."

"Well, I don't see why we have to visit Gotham more than once every ten years or so," the mercenary stated.

"Alfred's cooking," Red reminded him.

"Let's have them over at our place next Christmas, then," the man agreed. "Would Bruce be pissed if we didn't invite him?"

"Yes!" Robin snorted.

"Good."

"Pft, you guys will be bonding around the Christmas tree, talking about the good old days, in no time," the hero smirked.

"That thought made me want to crack some nuts," Slade seemed to agree.

"Your father hates people," Red explained to the kids.

"That's alright, your grandpa hates people too, so they will be happy together," Robin snickered.

"It sounds like you're setting me up with your father," the mercenary muttered.

"Eww! No!"

"Really? 'Ew'?" Slade said innocently. "I could do him. I'd bend him over the Batmobile, and-"

"Stop! Please, stop!"

"Yes, that's probably what he'd shout."

"Slade, for the love of… my brain just can't… aaaaaarrggghhhh!" Robin groaned, clawing at his head while Red was laughing his ass off in the backseat.

* * *

"Ikeam, ikeam, ikeam!" Oliver chanted.

"You just ate," Robin tried to explain to him.

"I think he's just bored and wants to stop again," Red shrugged.

"Not happening," Slade said, as the last stop had taken a bit too long according to him.

"_You_ tell him that," Robin snorted.

"Oliver? Not happening." Slade called over his shoulder.

"Mama?" the clever boy immediately said, sensing his father somehow wasn't on his side here.

"No, I'm sorry, sweetie… let's sing that song you like?"

"Not about the cows, not about the cows…" Slade seemed to pray.

"And all the cows goes-"

"… nooooo…."

"It's 'moo' actually, I thought you'd learned that by now," Red smirked at him. "Hmmm… how about… 'Here's a story, of a lovely kitten, who was bringing up three very lovely cats!'" he sang.

"Yes, 'The Brady Bunch', is so much better…" Slade snorted.

"All of them had pointy ears, like their mother, so they can't wear hats! Here's a story, of a man named Deathstroke, who was stuck with a very lovely thief. They were two men, in it altogether, and Slade was quite a beef! Until one day when this kitten met these hot men, and they knew it was much more than a hunch, that this group must somehow form a family; that's the way we all became the Wilson bunch!"

"Dada ga aaahhhba. Ikeam."

"Critics. Critics everywhere," Red sighed.

"I thought it was just lovely. You can write a song for us on Valentine's Day!" Robin grinned. "Or Mother's day, maybe?"

"Slade and I can sing it to you," the thief smirked.

"Do _not_ involve me."

"_You_, mister grumpy pants, can play the triangle." Red snorted.

"Oh, I'd _love _to see that!" Robin giggled like mad.

"Respect the head of the household, kitten, or I'll put you on the roof," the mercenary warned him, but Robin could hear that Slade was amused as well, and only acted grouchy.

"I just imagined Robin and the kids sitting in a huge card board box on the curb with 'free kittens' written on it…" Red snickered.

"Oh, you'll be in that box too," Slade stated.

"Dada?" Alexandra piped up.

"Not you, princess, we have the world to conquer. Actually we'll get your siblings to help. It's just your mom and daddy who are pretty useless."

"Hey! No snuggles for you!" Robin objected.

"I said '_pretty_ useless'," the man smirked.

"You are just digging yourself deeper there," Robin huffed. "Argh, where are we?" He then added and checked his gps app.

"Still a few hours to go, at least," Slade told him.

"I want to run. I really, really want to run. I haven't sat still this much since I was nine months pregnant!" the hero complained. "My legs are practically itching…"

"Don't talk about it, mine is too," Red let them know.

"Then I won't get any whining when I drag you out jogging round?" the mercenary wanted to know.

"No, Sir," Robin said, and then sniffed the air. "Diaper change time."

Slade pulled in at the first available stop and then turned to the teens with a smug look on his face. "I'll take care of the mud slide, you two get out and start running."

"What?" Robin blinked.

"Run. Just continue along the side of the road and I'll pick you up when I'm done. I'll even throw in some cold sodas for you from the gas station over there."

"Wait, is he doing us a favor or is he being mean?" Red asked.

"I don't know, but I'm taking him up on the offer," the hero said and got out of the car. "Oh, and you have at least two mud slides to deal with, sweetie. Bye!" he said and took off.

They got a good twenty minute jog out of it and then their car pulled up beside them.

"You pretty boys want a ride?" Slade grinned at them.

"What's it gonna cost us?" Robin smirked back.

"Gotta pay with gas or ass," the man let them know.

"I guess it's ass then, I left my wallet in the car," the former Titan sighed.

"Aw, can't we run a bit further?" Red asked.

"Speaking about that, why the hell were you running backwards?" Slade wanted to know.

"Because Robin didn't have anything to bind his boobies with," the thief leered. "I was enjoying the jiggle."

"Well, glad _one_ of us was," the hero muttered. "I'm thinking of starting weaning them off soon, so I'll get my normal chest back."

"If you do, you'll only go into heat again, and if we're not quick enough with the condoms, you'll be giving birth in nine months…" Slade warned him.

"It's really, really unfair, and maybe you should get neutered," Robin huffed, making his mates wince.

* * *

The children took a nap not long after that, and Red and Robin used the 'downtime' to actually study for the driver license test, quizzing each other until the thief declared that his brain had had enough filling for one day and he wanted to snooze a bit as well. Robin continued reading, but his mind was more on his family than anything else. This was to be their fifth night on the road and no one had killed anyone yet… did that mean they were a pretty solid group? Sure, there had been some… less fun times, but after being cooped up like this, it was only to be expected. Still, complaining aside, he was glad that they had actually done this together; proven that they could handle things outside the comfort of their own home.

He missed the luxury of it terribly, though… just little things, like knowing which way to turn the knob to get hot water in the shower. Knowing there would _be _hot water. Having a washing machine. A wardrobe so he didn't have to dig through trunks to find something to wear. To be able to sleep without causing his bed partner bruises… oh, and to be able to sleep every night with _both_ his mates! There were bigger things too, like knowing his kids were safe, playing on the floor; that it was clean and didn't contain any surprises… or other people's DNA.

He felt a bit guilty about dragging the kids along on a journey like this; they didn't know where they were or why, after all, and it was clear in the beginning that the change of routine upset them a bit. On the other hand, they were also at that age where they lived very much in the 'now', meaning that Alexandra could be perfectly content just chewing on a toy for half an hour, Dominic exploring his feet and Oliver talking to him, Red, or anyone or anything near enough to see. So, yes, they were cranky once in a while, but the teen thought everyone was doing a good job keeping their spirits up, and tomorrow they would arrive at the tiger's place.

They had never been there, they only knew that it was close to the place where the Ferocitas meeting was held. He was curious about the kids, who he had only seen on the video feed, and wondered if his own children would be able to play with them, despite the age difference.

Their family lived according to the traditional Ferocita rules, meaning that –at fifteen at the soonest- their children would go to new homes, new _owners_. That idea still didn't sit well with Robin, but at least he now knew that 'owner' didn't have to mean sex partner, not at all. It was a privilege and a matter of status to own a beautiful ferocita-creature, and that's why there were these shows; to determine who had the best one. Most of the meta humans stayed away from society, getting help to hide through the large and quite powerful network they had built over time. It was a true 'underground' society who even produced things like the specially made diapers the kids were now wearing. Robin had heard there was a fabric in China owned by a bunch of ferocita owners, including, apparently, Cecilia.

He still didn't like the 'pet' status they had, though. They weren't expected to do much else than look pretty, after all. Some worked in the entertainment business where they could pretend that their unusual features were masks or costumes, but they were quite few in comparison, as far as he knew. Others had jobs inside the community itself, he had heard, but he didn't know much more than that.

He hoped they would be able to stay away from discussions about traditions, especially about what would happen to his own kids once they were old enough. Robin knew that –since they were born Ferocitas- they wouldn't experience the sudden change he had; they wouldn't be over washed with instincts and need someone to bond which who could ground them, but they would still be instinctively seeking for a partner or an owner… or both. Robin suspected that a partner was the important part; Nick had told him that he didn't feel 'whole' until Cecilia bought Nate for him. Pure owners were probably not a must, and if Robin could, he'd do his best so that his children wouldn't end up with one. Technically Slade and Red owned him; they had bought him, after all, but the teen preferred not to think about that too much, or he'd just get annoyed.

* * *

"How much further do you think we can go today?" Slade asked as the sun started to set.

"Not much at all, even Dominic is starting to object," Red told him.

"We're coming up on this place called Bellefonte, want me to look for a place to stay there?" Robin asked.

"How much further to New York?" the thief wanted to know.

"About three hours without any stops, so that will mean like… four for us. That's too late to be knocking at their door," the younger teen sighed.

"Yes, like you said, it's better to get there around lunch time tomorrow," Slade nodded. "Alright, set us up somewhere and tell me where to go."

"I love it when you're being obedient," Robin leered. "Okay, we need to get off the 220. I've found an 'Econo Lodge hotel'… it's nothing much, but it doesn't look too bad and it has breakfast included."

"Sounds okay to me, call ahead and make sure they have a vacancy," Slade agreed, and not much later they had checked in. Red looked around the room and shrugged.

"We've seen worse, it's okay."

"Yeah, not bad. Right, Alexandra?" Robin asked the child on his hip. She sniffed a bit like she couldn't believe what her parents were putting her through. "Oh, don't be a snob," Robin chuckled. "Now, team! Slade! Red! We stand before a big challenge here… are you ready for it?"

"Dirty diapers?" the thief asked

"Worse than that!"

"There is no such thing!"

"Yes. This will take all our skill, wit and tactical knowledge."

"I think we can deal," Slade snorted. "What is it?"

"We need…" Robin drew a big, dramatic breath of air, "to decide what the kids should wear tomorrow."

_To be Continued…_

* * *

**A/N: **Hope people got that Robin was joking. Kind of. Seriously, some parents I know seemed to be happy to dress their kids in flour sacks UNLESS they were meeting someone for the first time. Then only mini tuxes and ball gowns will do. Well... almost.


	15. Sunday, 15th of December 2013

**A/N: **Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Okay… only tigers…

* * *

**Sunday, 15th of December 2013 **

"Oh wow…" Robin mumbled as they came up the long drive way. Cecilia's house was situated inside a large gated community, and it turned out it was a Ferocitas one; they had seen several different kinds as they drove through the streets.

"Did we make a wrong turn somewhere and end up in England?" Red asked, and yes, the house in front of them looked like a British mansion… although in miniature, because though it was big it wasn't as big as Wayne Manor, for example. It was still absolutely exquisite, though.

"Nice place," even Slade had to admit.

The whole family greeted them as they got out of the car.

"Welcome! Have you had a hard journey?" Cecilia asked and shook Slade's hand.

"It had its ups and downs," the man smiled at the forty-something very put together woman. She looked like she belonged in a boardroom in her immaculate business suit. Her hair was probably not naturally blond but it was well done and cut in a modern, shoulder-length style. She had old-fashioned square thick-framed glasses of the type that was quite fashionable at the moment.

"Robin!" Nick greeted him forehead-to-forehead in the way of cats, and then it was Nate's turn.

"Wow, don't take this the wrong way, but you have been working out!" Robin exclaimed as he saw the way the shirt stretched across the chest of the large tiger.

"Yes he has!" Nick grinned "He's going to be our Champion and Best in Show tomorrow!"

"Stop taking that out in advance!" Nate complained. "It's my first show in four years, I have no idea what the competition will be like!"

"Pft, they will have nothing on you," Nick grinned and Robin felt himself nodding. The white tiger was simply stunning.

"Mommy, where are the kittens?" a voice spoke up and Robin looked down on a little orange-haired boy with black stripes in his hair and round ears sticking up from it.

"They are in the car, I think Red and Slade are getting them out now," the teen smiled. "Hi, you're Chris, right?"

"Yes, Sir, pleased to meet you," the little boy said seriously and held a hand out.

Robin laughed and shook it. "Such a clever boy you are! When humans are four they can't speak as well as you do."

"I'm almost five! And Travis can already read…" Chris added with a little pout.

"You'll get there, son," Nate grinned and ruffled his hair.

"I know all the letters!" the boy claimed and hugged his father's leg. He could easily have been six or seven years old mentally, Robin thought, but physically he wasn't quite big enough to pull that off.

"The girls are inside in their playroom, let's go join them," Nick said.

"Hey," Red called out from the car "What about the laundry?"

"Reeeeed…." Robin groaned, feeling embarrassed. "Yes, we were going to ask if we could borrow a washing machine if that would be okay, but-?"

"Leave that with me, I'll have the servants take care of it for you," Cecilia smiled.

"Oh, but you don't have to-" Robin began.

"It's what they are for," the woman said dismissingly. "You'll have it all back tonight."

"Thank you," the teen smiled, it was nice not to have to spend time in a laundry room, after all.

They got the kids out of the carry cots and they were all cooed at. Cecilia was especially taken by Alexandra.

"Look at her colors, she's stunning! I would have loved to have her! Imagine her having Travis' cubs! She's not a tiger, sure, but I think the result would be fantastic!"

Robin's hackles had already risen, and Red put a hand on his arm.

"Well, we do not plan to have her 'bred' to anyone," Slade almost growled. "We plan to raise or children as children… with all due respect."

"Yes, yes, I know, I know," the woman just waved it all away. "I'd like to talk to you about a similar subject a bit later, though, but for now, let's introduce the children to each other and have a spot of lunch. Does that sound good?"

"Yes, thank you," Robin nodded, doing his best to accept it all as 'cultural differences'.

The twin girls were six months older than the triplets and of course miles ahead when it came to development. They were already talking quite well and walking and running too, although they did have a bit of childish clumsiness left in their movements. Soon they were all sitting on the floor and chatting while the kids were –mostly- staring shyly at each other. Even the four-year olds were quiet and clung to their mother.

Dominic looked disapproving of the whole thing, but that was how he usually looked so Robin didn't worry. Alexandra was on the floor but was gripping Slade's fingers tightly while chewing on her own hand. Even Oliver was quiet. At first.

"Ikeam!"

"Mommy, he said ice cream!" Travis exclaimed.

"I like ice cream!" little Lucy –Robin was pretty sure it was Lucy- piped up.

"Can we have ice cream?" Chris wanted to know.

"Not before lunch, but for dessert you may," Nate said. "But why don't you show the babies your play kitchen? Don't you have ice cream in there?"

The children and adults were soon surrounded by plastic food of a huge variety.

"Robin, do you want a hamburger?" Chris asked.

"Um, yes, thank you," the teen nodded, while making sure none of the pieces were small enough for his kids to swallow. Soon they were having a pretend lunch and the older children were constantly begging them to order more.

"Here." Little Alice held out a plate with what looked like sushi rolls to Slade, and Robin couldn't help but grin as the man seriously thanked her and took a pretend bite.

"If I was an evil person I would have so much extortion material on you…" the teen smiled at his oldest mate.

Oliver, in the mean while was babbling away at Lucy.

"He talks funny!" the girl laughed.

"He's just a baby, he doesn't know many words yet," her father explained.

"He's cute!" the girl giggled.

"Mama?" Oliver asked and Robin chuckled.

"Yes, you're cute. Get used to it."

"Lunch is served, Madam," a man suddenly declared from the door, and soon they were seated in a beautiful sunroom. When the lunch had been announced Robin had just been about to ask if he could go warm some bottles for the babies, but it was already taken care of. They also got home made baby food which they gobbled down for once. To Oliver's great delight the triplets also got to share a few spoonfuls if ice cream after the meal and the blue eyed boy smiled with his whole face.

"That's one happy kitten," Nate chuckled.

"He's crazy for ice cream," Robin sighed. "It's a good thing that _we _decide what they eat, or he would be round as a ball in no time."

"The children have a nanny now in the afternoon, why don't we let her look after them all for a while, and we can have a bit of a chat?" Cecilia suggested. Robin wasn't too happy with leaving his kids in the hands of a stranger, but it turned out the woman was a cat ferocita as well, in her fifties or early sixties, and he reluctantly agreed.

Cecilia led them to a sitting room and offered them coffee and some expensive-looking chocolate before she finally got down to business.

"I wanted to talk to you about some concerns you have created in the community," she said softly. "Robin, after all is –it has turned out− quite a well known figure, and the triplets are almost celebrities in the outside world, as I understand it?"

"Well, mostly online," the hero answered. "And yes, I was a hero before I knew I was a Ferocita, and that hasn't changed… but I assure you; we've said nothing about the community or that there are more people like us out there. As far as people know we're 'just' meta humans and that's it."

"Well, that's good, that's good," the woman nodded. "Slade, Red, we have barely spoken before, what do you two do for a living?"

"Well, I'm a bit into restorations, and stuff," Red shrugged.

"And I' a freelance security consultant," Slade said smoothly as if he had rehearsed it. "I heard you are involved in several ferocita businesses?"

"Yes, I am. My family has owned , or partly owned them, for generations. We cater to the whole community though they are all rather small businesses… which is why I think you living in the 'open', so to speak, is very interesting. Some –especially a few entertainers who already work in the outside world− are curious about… 'coming out' one might say, as well. Many of the families are old, though, and distrust the outside world. Seeing one of us accepted, even praised, by the society they hide from is fascinating to them… our world is getting too small for our young ones. They want to be out there, get the same education humans do, pursue the same careers… it's a bit of a revolution, to be frank. Far from everybody likes it, but I think that's where we are heading sooner or later…"

"That sounds great!" Robin smiled.

"Yes, but be careful," Slade warned the woman. "I think you have noticed how we react to the concept of ownership and seeing the meta humans as pets… society today would abhor that, and probably forcibly take the children from their families because they would think−like I admit we did at first− that they are raised to be sex slaves."

"The very idea…!" Cecilia exclaimed but then shook her head sadly. "Our system always looks out for the individuals, much more than in the outside world."

"I believe you," Slade nodded, "but there are other aspects as well. Some, like Robin, change and might start being sexually active when they are only fifteen – that's is too early in many countries."

"I still have to lie about my age on my official documents," Robin confirmed. "What I think is that if some of you want to come forward; great, but do it as we do; don't mention that there is a whole society of us, keep the rules and traditions a secret, and maybe, in time, adapt them to the outside society… I mean, I know that I was pretty out of it when I 'changed', but did I really need an 'owner' or a mate to cope? What if I had had parents, a family, couldn't they have helped?"

"Yes, of course, but as you didn't, it was lucky that you found mates," Cecilia, who didn't know the story, told him. "If not, you might have gotten injured or deemed insane… fortunately changes like yours are quite rare and if a family has a human-looking child they know what might happen on their birthday and be ready for it… still, in my experience, a Ferocita needs a mate and will always crave one. Well, _most _species do, anyway, and there are always individuals who are different, but still… a family or a 'pack' gives the sense of security they need to take control of their instincts when they need to…"

"I think you're lucky you're not more fucked up than you are," Red smirked at Robin.

"Well, thank you," the teen said dryly.

"Actually, as neither of you had any real idea what was happening, you _are_ lucky…" Cecilia said. "Although if you had bonded with them in a more traditional way, it's less likely that you would have ended up as partners. Slade and Red here are both your mates _and _your owners because of it… it happens sometimes, though."

"Excuse me, Madam, but I think someone missed her father." It was the servant from before, standing in the door holding a sniffling Alexandra. Slade stood up and the girl reached out for him eagerly.

"They aren't used to being away from all of us," Robin explained. "We haven't really had a babysitter for them."

"That's partly why our kids has a nanny in the afternoon. That and so we'd have time to do other things, like Nate's workouts," Nick explained. "Although mostly we end up in the play room anyway, but it's nice to be able to sit and read stories with the big ones, and if there's a diaper situation someone else is there to deal with it, and you don't have to run off… I think the boys might have become jealous of the girls if we didn't have that time with them."

"Also, I'm rather hoping a nanny will make them decide to have another litter one day," Cecilia grinned.

"I think we've done our job there," Nate chuckled.

"Weeell…" Nick said and stared longingly at Alexandra. "Babies are so cute!"

"I'm starting to think we were invited here to get you in the baby mood," Red snickered.

"It will be at least another year before my next heat anyway… or six months, at the least…" Nick said.

"Um… it… oh, this will sound bad, I'm sorry, but it is up to you if you _want_ to, though, isn't it?" Robin asked carefully.

"Of course it is!" Cecilia said. "All I do is offer a suitable environment, but they don't 'owe' me any cubs. In fact, I hadn't planned on having kids in the home but when it turned out Nick was a carrier and really wanted children, well... I could either sell him or get him a mate…"

"Oh, darn, did you hear that Slade? We could have just _sold _Robin and not had to deal with the diapers from hell…" Red joked.

"I wonder what we could get for him?" Slade smirked back.

"As he's just a house cat he won't go for as much as some of the more exotic breeds, but with his colors and a carrier at that… seventy or eighty thousand, maybe more," Cecilia answered. "Alexandra there, if she grows up to be as pretty as I think she will, might go for a bit more."

"Nice to know your worth…" Robin muttered.

"You will get offers at the show tomorrow, I'm sure… just a fair warning, as I know you're not interested," the woman told them.

"I'll try not to bite anyone," Robin smirked.

They were then shown to their rooms to get a chance to freshen up and rest a bit before dinner. They were going to get Dominic and Oliver first, but they found all the cats sleeping in a big pile on a mattress when they got to the play room, so they left the boys there as it was time for a rest anyway. Alexandra fell asleep herself while Robin was in the shower and soon the teen was snoozing as well. He was a cat, after all; he never turned down a nap.

* * *

They could barely separate the kids when it was time to go to sleep after a great dinner and nice, lazy evening in front of a fire. Eventually the triplets were tired enough to be coaxed away from their new playmates, however, and when they got to their room they found that all their dirty laundry now had been cleaned, ironed and folded.

"Wow, is _this_ how clean clothes are supposed to look?" Red said and poked at the piles on top of the dresser.

"Yes, and ours can too if you want to spend hours ironing…" Robin said dryly. "Because I sure as hell won't."

The hero went to bed with a big smile on his face that night. Just the thought that they wouldn't have to get up, pack and spend half the day in a car tomorrow, put him in a great mood. Tomorrow would be awesome. And he would buy _so _much stuff…

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: So, the ferocita fair thing is tomorrow, and the kittens will run into a dog…


	16. Monday, 16th of December 2013

**A/N: **Let's hope Robin doesn't kill one of the bird-ferocitas today? That would be… awkward…

* * *

**Monday, 16th of December 2013**

"It's so nice to just have a regular breakfast…" Robin sighed happily the next morning.

"It's so nice to have scrambled eggs that actually _used_ to be eggs and didn't come from a carton," Red agreed.

"I'm glad you like it," Cecilia smiled. "About today, we're not bringing the kids as Nate is joining the show, so if you want to leave yours here too, it won't be a problem."

"I think we'll bring them, or they might miss us," Robin said. "They can play tonight and tomorrow instead."

"Of course they can, and people will love seeing them," Cecilia smiled, which almost made Robin _want _to leave the kids behind.

An hour later they were walking through the show grounds with the kids in their stroller, though. The weather was sunny but crisp, and Robin had had to struggle to get the babies to wear mittens, something they had never done before. They also had little woolly hats, which made Dominic look even grumpier than usual, but cute as a button.

The former hero's head was practically spinning around completely as he was trying to take it all in.

"Well, hello there, if it isn't the 'Kitty Litter'!" A voice suddenly boomed right in front of him. Robin looked up and had to fight the urge to climb the nearest tree. Or Slade. Whatever was closest. The man smiling down on him was a huge dog of some kind, with floppy ears and a big beard, looking a bit like a blond bear.

"Hi, the name is Bill," he said and thrust what Robin could only think of as an hairy paw, even though it was fully human of course, forward.

"H-hi," Robin stammered and shook the hand.

"Aw, chucks, I forgot you're cats… I hang around some every day, I ain't dangerous or nothin'," the man said, looking like someone had just rolled up a newspaper.

"No, no, I'm sure, I'm just… not used to dogs… since I changed, I mean," Robin tried to explain, fighting to keep his instincts in check.

"I'm Slade, this is Red, and yes, this is our brood," the mercenary said, stepping up so Robin felt a bit more protected.

"Aren't they darling! I've seen them online, so it just felt natural to come up and say hi… Hi, kittens!" he rumbled on, crouching down in front of the stroller.

Three pair of wide eyes stared at him.

"Woof?" Alexandra said after a moment.

"Doggie!" Oliver exclaimed and looked extremely happy that they had finally solved the riddle of the big, hairy man.

"Bill! Bill, there you are, I'm sorry, he's very friendly," a petite human woman who was obviously pregnant, said as she hurriedly waddled up to them. "Billy, stop bothering strangers, not everyone wants to talk to you," she sighed with a smile and cuddled up to the huge man.

"These ain't strangers' these are the 'Kitty Litter'!" the man announced happily and hugged her back. "And this is Nina… and these," a large hand landed gently on the woman's stomach, "are our pups."

"Congratulations," Robin smiled, much more relaxed now. This dog was a nice one! "If we all come back next year, I'll look forward to meeting them."

They chatted for a while and then moved on. Now and then they were stopped for a greeting or a chat with curious strangers, but even though they got as much attention , if not more, than in the outside world, Robin felt safer here. Then bumped into old man Sylva too, who seemed to have even less teeth this year, but who was happy to meet the kittens.

They stopped by the cat-tent where Nate was going to compete and cheered for him when he won the first of a long series of judgings. The complete thing would take most of the day, though, so they moved on. Robin lingered close to the birds, and even got to talk to one for the first time. The woman seemed to be a bird of prey, because she was confident enough to approach them, whereas others kept their distance from the cats. Robin understood how Bill had felt, because he sure as heck wasn't going to hurt anyone! They were just so very fascinating!

The reptile ring was fascinating too; the Ferocitas there were beautiful but very exotic looking.

Finally they had passed through the show area and came to the large market place.

"It's even bigger than I remembered!" Robin gasped.

"Knock yourself out," Slade chuckled. "Like I could stop you."

"I'm glad you know your limitations," Red smirked. "I'm starting to get hungry, does anyone else want a hot dog?"

Soon they were all munching away and Robin looked from stall to stall, concentrating on cat and children things, of course. He didn't focus much on what the kids were doing and suddenly he heard an outraged cry.

"No! That's mine!"

Robin spun around to see a ferocita boy, around six years old, snatch back a white cat plushy from Oliver, who began to cry. It seemed Ollie had spotted it and pulled it from the boy's grip. Robin dashed forward and kneeled in front of the young man.

"I'm sorry, did Oliver take your toy?" he asked.

"Yeah. Stupid baby!" the boy muttered. He was a cat, just like them, but obviously a larger breed. At first Robin thought he was a white tiger too, but then he saw that the markings in the boy's silvery hair were spots, not stripes, and he has a really long and bushy tail.

"You're a snow leopard, aren't you?" he smiled.

"Yeah," the boy pouted and hugged his toy harder. "We're rare!"

"I can imagine that," the teen nodded. "I'm sorry Oliver took your toy, but he's just a baby, he must have just been curious and thought it looked really cool, you know?"

The boy glared at him for a moment. His eyes were the color of pale brass which gave him a really intense gaze. He then nodded.

"It's okay, he's just a baby," he agreed and turned his eyes on Oliver who had stopped crying but was still reaching out for the toy, looking miserable.

"Did you get that toy here? Maybe we can buy one for him?" Robin asked.

"No, I got it from my mom," the boy answered.

"Oh, is she around?" the teen had suddenly relaxed that the boy seemed to be on his own.

"No, she died," came the quiet answer.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry! Who are you here with, are you lost?"

"No, I'm not lost, my owner is lost," the boy snorted, which made Slade laugh and kneel in front of them as well.

"That's my kind of attitude. How about we try to find this owner of yours? Maybe you can look from on top of my shoulders?"

Robin understood the light that flickered in the boy's eyes at that; as a cat they both enjoyed being up on high places, after all. The boy nodded and soon he had a very good view of his surroundings, which left a small smile on his face.

"I'm Robin, by the way," the hero said. "The guy you're sitting on is my mate Slade, and this is my other mate Red. The little thief is Oliver, and the other two are his sister Alexandra and brother Dominic. What's your name?"

"Xue," the boy answered, which sounded something like 'chi-e'.

"That's a great name, and so unusual!" Robin smiled. He desperately wanted to cheer the boy up, he just seemed so standoffish and it didn't seem like a child's natural behavior.

"My mom met my dad in China and it's a Chinese name. It means 'snow and 'to learn''," the boy declared proudly, a bit more open now.

"Your mom really picked a good name for you, then!" Robin smiled. "Do you see your owner yet? Did he or she got lost far from here, you think?"

"Not very," the boy said and then his ears pricked up a little. "I see her! She's over there!" he said and waved. Soon a frantic looking middle age woman hurried up to them.

"Xue, what did I tell you about wondering off! Are you okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," the boy nodded.

"Did he cause you any trouble? I'm sorry, he's just a handful…" the woman sighed.

"He's been a delightful company, he's a very clever young man," Slade said, making the snow leopard preen.

"He told us that his mother had passed away…?" Robin prodded carefully.

"Yes, unfortunately… a car accident a little over a year ago," his owner sighed, "their original owner passed away too… I was a friend of the family, and I ended up inheriting him, so to speak…"

"What about his father?"

"Ah, as I understand it, his parents – who were both snow leopards – just met during a heat and never saw each other again… the breed can be a bit… unsocial, and prefer solitude, I've understood. But we're travelling to Asia soon, to see if we can track down his father… I just think it's the right thing to do, but it's taken a long time to organize…"

"Wow, what an adventure you're going on," Robin smiled up at Xue.

"I have to keep my tail and ears hidden," the boy sulked.

"Only on the flight, sweetie, then we'll meet other Ferocitas," his owner told him in a tired voice, like she had explained this a thousand times already.

"Well, you're brave, we only drove across the country to get here, and you're going to the other side of the world, like a real explorer," Red said, and lifted up Oliver who was fidgety and still a bit sad. "Did you hear that, Ollie? Maybe you can travel that far too, when you're a big boy like Xue?"

Oliver only reached out for the plushy again as soon as he spotted it, though, and his father sighed.

"You really got your eye on that, don't you? We'll have to see if we can find something like it around here, I think."

Xue looked thoughtful for a moment but then surprised them all by handing over his toy.

"He can have it. He's just a baby and he needs something so that he's not scared. And I'm never scared."

"Xue, are you _sure_?" Robin said while Oliver happily hugged the toy cat, grinning with his whole face and then began babbling like usual.

"Yeah, he's really happy now," the boy shrugged.

"You are the nicest boy I've ever met, and yes, you've really made Oliver happy," Robin smiled. He then took his owner to the side and gave her all their contact information.

"If he changes his mind today, just call, and if he changes his mind before the trip we'll just ship it over, express," he told her quietly.

"Thank you. I don't think he will, though… he never changes his mind about _anything_," the woman half smiled, half sighed.

They spend some time together, just to make sure the boy didn't want the toy back, and then they parted ways. Robin was soon completely immersed with shopping, especially pants with little slits for tails, which he bought in several sizes so they would have something to grow into as well. They picked up little Christmas presents for the kids too, mostly clothes and such as they were really too small to understand what was going on anyway, but that didn't mean they shouldn't have a few presents to tear into, of course…

As Oliver had gotten a toy the other two were allowed to pick one each out as well. Dominic wanted a green turtle and Alexandra choose a yellow puppy.

"I guess that Bill-guy really made an impression on her," Robin chuckled.

"Watch it, Slade, she's going to grow up to like big guys," Red smirked.

"What's wrong with that?" Robin sniffed playfully and took the man's arm.

"Let's just hope she grows up to like girls," the mercenary muttered.

* * *

When they got back to the house that evening, Robin's feet were aching.

"I know I said I didn't want to sit in the car anymore, but I really don't want to walk anymore either," he groaned.

"Want me to carry you?" Slade smirked.

"You only ever carry me when you're taking me to the bedroom," Robin snorted.

"Yes? And where do you think we're going now?" the man asked innocently.

"Behave," Robin blushed as he realized that he wouldn't mind a trip to the bedroom. It had been a while. But, they were guests here and shared a room with the kids, so it wasn't about to happen.

The tigers and Cecilia were ecstatic as Nate had managed to grab the coveted prizes of the show and had brought a row of blue ribbons home with him, so dinner was held in high spirits before they all hit the sacks rather hard not much later.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: She WILL grow up to like big guys, Slade. Sorry. You'll see on the 26th… ;)


	17. Tuesday, 17th of December 2013

**A/N: **Just a little rest-day before they leave for Gotham tomorrow…. and a bit of smex…

* * *

**Tuesday, 17th of December 2013 **

Robin woke up when someone playfully bit his ear. The playfulness in itself let him know who it was.

"Morning, Red…" he grinned sleepily, rolling over to face his assaulter.

"Morning, kitten," the thief grinned in a way the other teen recognized.

"Oh-oh, you're one horny delinquent, aren't you?" Robin snickered and raised his head, looking towards the babies' cots.

"They aren't here, they are having breakfast and then they are going to play with the others. Slade and I took them out of here as soon as they woke up," Red explained.

"And you thought this was the perfect time to get some?"

"Any time when the kids are occupied is the perfect time," the other young man claimed.

"M-hmmm? Ah, I wouldn't mind, really, but… we're guests here and everything…?"

"We'll be guests in Gotham too," Red pointed out. "Don't tell me you're not thinking of getting down and dirty at Wayne Manor?"

"Well, that's _home_… or used to be," Robin argued, but gasped as the redhead stroked a row of his 'fake' nipples.

"It seems I can convince you," Red smirked and straddled the younger man before kissing and suckling every one of his eight pink circles on his chest.

"You… have few good points," Robin snickered.

"Is this discussion open for everyone?" Slade asked from the door.

"Maybe not _everyone_, but _you _are welcome," the thief smirked at him.

"Who's looking after the kids?" the hero wanted to know.

"Nick and Nate, and gladly too. I told them that we need to start packing up," Slade said as he unbuttoned his shirt.

"Look, we're getting a strip tease," Robin grinned, making Red roll over on the bed too, to watch.

"Idiots," Slade muttered. He wasn't one to 'put on a show' and simply chucked his clothes off.

"You're pathetic, this is how it's done," Red snorted and took the floor, moving sensually as he slowly removed his t-shirt.

"Mmm… Robin grinned. "I wanna hit that."

"You want a piece of this, kitten?" the redhead smirked and turned around, grabbing his ass through his jeans.

"Yes, please…" the hero said, salivating somewhat. "Let me see what you've got, babe!"

Slade just made a noise somewhere between a snort and a mutter and got on the bed, leaving Red to 'perform' all he wanted while he got his hands on their young lover instead. Robin let the mercenary slip his pajama pants off but kept his eyes on the teasing thief.

"You really want him, don't you, kitten?" the man chuckled.

"M-hm… still feel a bit naughty though, with the others downstairs…" Robin moaned as Slade had taken up position behind him on the bed and was stroking his chest and length.

"I guess I could fuck his mouth if you take his ass," Slade said lightly, also looking at Red, who was now down to his underwear.

"Maybe this is just a tease, gentlemen, maybe I'm not willing to _sell_ anything?" the thief smirked.

"Maybe we should just take it then, hmm, Robin?" Slade suggested.

"You betcha'," the teen grinned and, as one, they leapt of the bed and had the redhead pinned down on it in seconds.

"You won't be needing this anymore," Slade said and pulled the teen's boxer-briefs off.

"I'll be needing this, though," Robin smirked and grabbed a bottle of lube from his bag. "Turn him over, Slade, I want him kitty-style."

"Heh, I love being the center of attention," Red grinned.

"Open up, and you'll _really_ be the center," the man smirked and offered the young man his weeping length.

Robin saw the tip go into the thief's mouth and pushed in at the same time. He knew Red could take it, as the hero wasn't as big as Slade, and to just go for it was one of his favorite ways to fuck.

The redhead moaned appreciatively as Robin let his animal side take over, resulting in a few bite- and scratch marks along the other teen's back and neck as he rutted against him hard and fast, forcing more of Slade's cock into Red's mouth as he did.

Robin loved topping now and then. Not too often; he instinctively didn't want to change the established pack order in which he felt so safe, but it was easy to switch roles with Red, something he couldn't even _contemplate _doing with Slade.

Something was always missing when he topped, though, and Robin reached for the lube again, only to start fingering himself a moment later.

"Aw, the kitten feels empty… let's fix that," Slade smirked and pulled out of Red's mouth.

"Thanks for… letting me… breathe…" the redhead gasped.

"Pft, you loved it," the mercenary snorted as he made his way around Robin, "and I have a feeling you'll love_ this_, little hero," he added and pushed into the teen.

Slade was right. It disturbed Robin's rhythm, but he wouldn't have been able to last long at that pace anyway. As it was, once it was over, Robin's hair was damp with sweat and he felt so drained that standing up just wasn't an option.

"Damn, I would have been less sore if I'd let Slade fuck me," Red groaned as he collapsed on his stomach next to the former Titan.

"See, Slade?" Robin grinned. "It's not about the size; it's how you use it…"

Robin got a smirk and a wink from Nick when he came into the play room twenty minutes later after having a quick shower and getting dressed.

"Another reason we have a nanny…" the orange tiger grinned.

"I'm thinking of getting one," Robin grinned back, but blushed a little.

"Mama!" Three kittens immediately wanted attention so Robin pulled them all close in a 'kitten pile'.

"They are getting easier to distract when they realize you're not around, that's a good sign," the tiger told him. "They will have phases when they are really clingy, but that's just how it is… I had hell with Chris and Travis; for a while there I couldn't even leave the room."

"I guess batch number two is easier?" Robin asked.

"Oh heck, yes! And you worry less too… you know that a whimper or a cough doesn't necessarily mean that they are dying."

"It doesn't?" Robin blinked, but then chuckled. "I know what you mean… the first few weeks when you just listened to hear them breathe?"

"Oh yeah… and when you finally felt safe enough to move them into their own room you kept sneaking in there four or five times a night, just to check on them…" Nick sighed. "No wonder you were tired, huh?"

"I know. Sometimes all three of us stood there like idiots. And every now and then we woke them up, just to make sure they were okay… poor kids." Robin smiled and shook his head at the memories.

"Yeah, they are precious, though… I really wouldn't mind more, it's just that I wish cat's weren't prone to multiple births… if I would be fairly certain that I'd just get one, that would be great… but it might be twins again, or three or four…"

"The horror…" Robin shuddered. "Besides, you only have a certain amount of time each day, you want to be able to spend time with them all, after all… I don't know, I think I'm set."

"Yeah, well… give it a year." Nick grinned. "Where are your mates?"

"They are packing. _Actually_ packing this time… I think."

"So, you're going to visit family in Gotham?" Nick asked. Robin had of course not told them about who they were going to stay at because that would give away Bruce's identity, after all.

"Yes, my adoptive family," he nodded. "It will be great to see them again, living on different sides of the continent isn't exactly easy. How about yours and Nate's families? Do you spend time together?"

"Yes, it happens, but we're not terribly close. We both have many siblings, and although we had good childhoods… well…"

"Yeah… that's why I don't want to have too many children either, I always want us to be close," Robin said. "Family means a lot to me."

"We cats are pretty independent, though, once we grow up," Nick shrugged. "We'll have to cherish the cuddles while we can get them," he added and caught a passing Lucy, tickling and hugging the laughing little girl.

"Yeah…" Robin mumbled and pulled his own closer. Them going out into the world alone wasn't something he wanted to consider, but on the other hand, he had done that himself when he formed the Titans, and he had turned out alright… well… he had become pregnant as a teen, but… well…

"When you met Nate, how did you know that he was the one? You told me a long time ago that you and Cecilia picked him because he was a champion, but… was that all? Because you two are obviously in love _now_."

"Yeah, I love him alright, but the first time we had sex we didn't even know each other," Nick began. "I was hitting my heats, _really _wanting a mate and a baby and I was probably almost impossible to handle, Cecilia had to lock me up so I didn't just jump the servants, it was that bad…"

Robin nodded, he remembered both his heats, although slightly blurrily.

"Once the last heat was over, Cecilia had come up with a few candidates, and we went to meet them… Nate was the fourth one and it just… clicked. He smelled exactly right and I knew it was him or no one… I mean, it's not like Ferocitas have some sort of soul mates; maybe number five would have been a great choice too, but it seems I smelled good to him too, because we were doing it before the deal was even done…"

"Heh, well… it didn't take long for me and the boys either…" Robin nodded. "But hey, what about Cecilia… did you chose her too?"

"I was fifteen and she was a very influential person in the ferocita society, so my parents and their owner maybe pushed me a little, but it felt right. Not 'mate-right' and she was never interested in that, she knew I wanted a male, but she was in charge and could control me… I was pretty wild at that age."

"Oh." For the first time Robin started to understand the role of the owner and how important that control was. He had thought that he would have come to his senses on his own, with or without Slade and Red, but maybe that just wasn't true. His own best friends hadn't been able to help, after all… maybe it took something more to rein in those instincts… maybe 'friendship' just couldn't cut it. But that made the teen fearful for his own kittens; would they become unmanageable unless they had someone outside the family to take control, or was Slade strong enough to be the alpha for them all until they found mates of some sort?

Robin sighed. He thought the world of the mercenary, but the man had _one_ weakness… He would be able to handle everything apart from that. Robin kissed the head of said weakness.

"We're going to need help with you, Alexandra, or you'll tear the city down…" he muttered.

* * *

"We have loved having you, let's make this an annual tradition!" Cecilia said during dinner that evening.

"We'd like that very much, I think," Slade said. "Even though it means we won't get away from spending the holidays with my father-in-law."

"That's a _plus_," Robin smirked. "And yes, absolutely. And if you're ever on the west coast you have to come stay with us! There's plenty of room in the apartment… well… depending on how many more kids you get."

"Or _you_ get…" Nick smirked.

"Why do I have a feeling I've missed an important conversation?" Slade asked dryly.

"No decisions were made," Robin chuckled and pushed his head against the man, who was sitting next to him.

"Yeah, we'd like to be involved in the baby making business…" Red snorted and then blinked as the other adults burst out laughing. "Oh, you know what I mean!" he added, rolling his eyes.

"I think we know _exactly _what you mean," Nate rumbled and gave the younger man a wink.

"It's not that often Red makes an innuendo he didn't actually intended," Robin laughed.

"Yeah, I must be off my game," the thief nodded.

"When do you have to go tomorrow?" Nick asked wistfully. "Can't you stay for lunch?"

"No, there's heavy traffic all the way, we need to get started really early… as soon as the kids are up and fed."

"I'll ask the staff to prepare breakfast bags for you if you want?" Cecilia offered. "But if you want an early meal here, you are more than welcome to it."

"Eating in the car sounds great, it will save us some time," Robin said with a grateful smile.

"Yes, well I will miss you," Nick sighed.

"Ikeam!" Oliver, who still refused to let go of the cat-plushy, spoke up, and everyone agreed that that was a good way to finish the dinner.

* * *

"Un-un-un-un!"

"I don't care, you need to get used to cleaning your teeth," Robin told his oldest son a little later. "Ow! You bit me, you little fiend!"

"Bababaaaa!" Oliver grinned. "Ow?"

"Yes, 'ow'!" Robin muttered and shook his finger. Then he held up the soft toothbrush again. "Open wide."

"Dada?"

"No, your daddy is not going to help you out of this, you're stuck with mommy," the teen said firmly. "Daddy is helping Dominic, see?"

"Daddy's getting _gnawed on_ by Dominic," Red reported.

"I have no idea what you're having problems with," Slade, who was sitting in front of a dutifully gaping Alexandra, smirked.

"Showoff," the thief snorted. "Come on, Dominic, let's show your sister how teeth brushing is done!"

"Look!" Robin suddenly got a brilliant idea and started pretending to brush the nonexistent teeth on Oliver's plushy. He didn't have his own toothbrush this time, and the kids were starting to see through that rouse. "Look, your cat wants his teeth clean, right? First Xue, then Oliver!"

"CHI!" Oliver grinned, trying to mimic the sound of the name.

"Yes, now it's your turn!" Robin said, and finally he got enough access for a few soft brush strokes. "Success! The crowd goes wild! Oliver wins the tooth brushing championship!" his mother grinned.

"We already had that in the bag," Slade pointed out.

"For boys!" Robin amended. "Happy?"

"Very," his oldest mate smirked.

"I don't even want to be there when we're going to have the 'it's not important to win as long as you do your best' discussions…" Robin sighed.

"Why would we ever tell our children something as stupid as that?" the man snorted.

"Slade, you are formally banned from all the kids future activities which involve any form of competition, including soft ball, gymnastics and spelling-bees," Red let him know.

"I don't know what you're worried about, we have three winners here," the mercenary snorted. "Isn't that right, sweetheart?" he asked his daughter.

"Boom-boom!" she answered smugly.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: Kittens, you better not lose anything. Ever.


	18. Wednesday, 18th of December 2013

**A/N: **Yay! Alfred and grandpa time! *lol*

* * *

**Wednesday, 18th of December 2013**

"I can't believe that we're finally here!" Robin exclaimed as they were driving up to Wayne Manor.

"I'm glad," Red said from the back, "mostly because the kids want out of the car and are about to let us know."

"We're here, sweethearts, we're at grandpa's!" Robin cooed at them, practically hanging over the front passenger seat to cheer the children up.

Slade made an amused sound at the mention of 'grandpa'. Robin heard it, but didn't comment If the man wanted to rub that in Bruce's face, he'd let him… it was an honorary title after all, and Robin felt the bat _should _be honored.

As soon as the car stopped, Robin opened the side door and whisked Oliver, who was in the closest seat, out of his chair and practically bounded up the steps.

The front door opened at that moment and Alfred got a very enthusiastic greeting from the cat boy, ending with the old man getting to hold Oliver, while Robin dashed back to make sure the rest of his brood would follow.

"Stop it, you'll get to show the kids off in a moment, we don't have to run," Slade snorted at the teen's enthusiasm.

"Excuse me for being happy," Robin sniffed. "Aren't they beautiful, though, Alfred?" he added.

"Indeed they are. You've become quite a big man, Master Oliver," the old butler said.

"Gabababaaa?" the boy replied politely.

"Well, thank you," The butler nodded seriously, pretending that the garble made sense. Oliver absolutely loved when people talked to him like that and if he had been a bit tired and grumpy in the car, it was all forgotten now.

"Agaaaga-ga-ba!" He let the man know.

"You don't say? You must tell me more, but let's go inside so we don't let any more of the winter air in, shall we?"

"Itten!" the boy said and pushed his stuffed animal in the old man's face.

"Yes, the kitten can come too, of course," Alfred let him know, and they all filed into the foyer. "Master Bruce will be down in a moment, he's on the ph- Oh, here he is."

"Bruce!" Robin gave the smiling man a hug. The billionaire then shook Slade's and Red's hands and smiled at the children, although slightly awkwardly. He didn't have any real experience when it came to babies, after all, and last time he had seen them they had been newborns and much easier to handle.

Robin wouldn't' let him get away, though, and thrust Dominic into his arms.

"Oh, hello. You look sad, why does he look sad?" Bruce wanted to know.

"He's just a bit miffed about being cooped up in the car all morning, it will pass," Red explained.

"Da-ma-ba…" the dark haired child muttered.

"Well, we might have just the thing for them. We bought them these for Christmas, but thought it would be a waste not to let them use them from the start," Bruce said, "And Slade told me you didn't have any."

"You and Slade talked? Really?" Robin grinned.

"We texted," the Dark Knight shrugged.

"Figures," Robin chuckled. "But what is it we don't have?"

"Follow me," Bruce said smugly and led them into the main sitting room where three baby walkers sat on the floor with big bows on them.

"Oh, wow…" Robin gaped, and then his parental instincts kicked in. "Are you sure they are safe?"

"Best of the line, won't tip over, and they are very sturdy," the billionaire sniffed as if he had been accused of buying second hand junk for his grandchildren. "And there are no stairs here for them to fall down, as long as we keep them on the ground floor."

"Check out those sweet rides, Alexandra!" Red, who had the girl in his arms as Slade had carried their bags, said. "Wanna try one out?"

Soon three somewhat bemused children were sitting in their new toys, their feet touching the floor. Dominic was the first one to discover all the fun noise-making buttons on the panel in front of him. After getting a 'moo' from a button he got so excited that he bounced, and pushed himself to the side. His eyes grew very big when he realized that he had moved.

"This is just the funniest sight I've seen in so long…" Robin laughed, having collapsed on the floor in front of the kids. "Come here, baby… push yourself this way!"

Red and Robin lost themselves completely while playing with the kids, but after twenty minutes or so Alfred cleared his throat.

"Lunch is ready, if…?"

"FOOD!" Red exclaimed. "And not from a paper bag or carton!"

"Heavens, no," the butler sniffed.

"You act like we didn't get real food at Cecilia's," Robin chuckled. "Come on kids, we're gonna roll you into the dining room and see if you can be big kittens and behave." But the kids didn't want to behave, because they didn't want to leave their walkers. In the end their parents gave up and let them play while they ate and then fed them on the floor.

"There," Robin sighed and stood up, stretching his back. The triplets had all gotten a bottle this meal because not even real milk would get them away from their new toys right now. "We'll take our stuff up to our room… is it the same one as last time?"

"Yes, but let me help-" Alfred said hurriedly.

"No, stay here and bond with the kids," Robin smiled. "We'll manage."

"I think Alfred wants to make sure you are happy with the nursery," Bruce smirked.

"You set up a whole nursery? That's so sweet, you didn't have to do that!" The young hero beamed. "But come along then Al, show it to me! Bruce can watch the kids!"

"I… can?" the billionaire said. "You don't have to go all at once, do you? Robin?" he added. "Red?" he asked next, and, after a considerable pause; "Slade?"

"They won't bite," the mercenary snorted.

"Actually… they will," Robin grinned. "But you'll be alright, just explain all the nifty details on their walkers to them."

"MOOO!" said Dominic's walker.

"BOING!" said Alexandra's.

"Waaaaahhhh!" cried Oliver, because he had just dropped his toy, which had been sitting in front of him on the tray.

"Congratulations, your first catastrophe to fix," Robin chuckled and left with the others.

* * *

"You got us a custom made bed?" Robin was shocked when he stared at the huge piece of furniture. When they had stayed here last time three single beds had been secured together to fit them all and it worked fine. At Cecilia's they had all slept on a king sized one, which was enough for a night or two but felt cramped in the long run. This was almost too much, though, and the teen told the old man as much.

"Nonsense, you are family, of course you should be comfortable. The nursery is just across the hall."

When the butler opened that door all three of them gasped. Well, Robin was pretty sure he heard Slade breathe in, at least, but maybe it was just a coincidence. The room was absolutely beautiful, made up of yellow hues so it looked like it was filled with sunshine. The cribs were of dark wood, though, and made to look antique, but with all the modern features. There were toys as well, and Robin's eyes welled over at that point. He knew Bruce considered them family, of course he did, but somewhere, deep down inside, his insecurities had been whispering to him… Telling him that he was just a freak, with freak children, who were a embarrassment and an inconvenience to the billionaire… at _best_.

Maybe it was shallow to feel secure now, just because the man had lavished them with all these gifts, and Robin knew that he sure has hell hadn't put up the wallpaper himself; it was most likely all the work of a decorator, but that didn't matter, because the man had _done_ it. He _cared_. Even the bed showed that, because Robin knew Bruce was uneasy about even knowing that his ward had sex at all, much less with two men… and still he had ordered the bed to be built to keep them together, thus recognizing that they were a family too…

"I… I love it… I … I have to…" Robin turned on his heel and ran downstairs.

"And you see, the security features on this model far outweighed the ones on-" Bruce was actually sitting cross-legged on the floor, talking to two very attentive looking boys, while their sister was pushing herself determinedly across the room. Suddenly the man was almost flattened by a sobbing teenager who was clinging to him for all he was worth.

"Either the rooms were very good or horrible," Bruce said dryly.

"They were amazing! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Robin cried.

"Um… are you still… hormonal?" the man asked, awkwardly patting his back.

The teen burst out laughing and pulled back.

"No… I guess I'm just around children all the time and they don't bother hiding their emotions," he teased.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that you should-"

"I know, I know," Robin smiled. "I hereby would like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for preparing those wonderful rooms for all of us."

"You're welcome," the man said gravely and then smiled as well. "So, Oliver here… he's quite chatty, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Robin chuckled, wiping the tears from his eyes. He heard something behind him, a low cough or grunt, and turned his head to see Slade standing in the door with a stoic expression on his face. The teen beamed at him and saw the expression soften, until the man seemed to relax.

"Alfred insisted on putting our things away," the man shrugged in a way that said 'I only know one way to stop people, and that's permanent'.

"Let him… although we need diapers now," Robin said and sniffed the air.

"And I think that's my cue to leave," Bruce said and stood up.

"Well, we _actually_ hoped you would babysit a bit, so maybe you should stick around for an instruction?" Robin smirked and then got a brilliant idea. He turned to his oldest mate and used his most innocent voice. "Slade, could you teach him?"

There was no way the Dark Knight was going to admit that the mercenary knew something he didn't, or back away from something the man had no problem with… well, as long as it was legal, of course. It was a challenge. At the same time, Slade would love the opportunity to play teacher to the man, not that he didn't love doing that in general… Soon they were heading upstairs with Dominic and Alexandra, while Robin carried an objecting Oliver. The triplets all wanted to stay in their walkers, but their mother drew a line at doing so in dirty diapers.

Robin walked in just as Slade opened Dominic's diaper, and actually saw Bruce take a step back.

"Oh, that's nothing," Alfred let them know. "When Master Bruce was a baby his diapers-"

"Please let's not share diaper stories, old man," his employer groaned. "Dear god, how do they fit all that in their stomachs?"

"We're thinking magic," Red explained. "Evil, _evil_ magic, of course."

Robin just laughed at them. Yes, the diapers could stink quite badly, especially now when the kids got solid food more often, but his enhanced sense of smell actually made it easier to endure natural scents like that. He didn't know why, but it was like his brain told him it was nothing to be that revolted about.

Three pair of drooping ears told the parents that it was time for a nap, so they sent Alfred and Bruce away and sat down in comfy chairs that reminded Robin of their own nursing chairs back home. Holding one baby each and just talking softly or humming to them made them drop off in no time so they could be put in their cots.

"That was easy for once," Robin whispered as they quietly closed the door. Bruce had provided them with the bat-version of baby monitors; a cell phone shaped device which they could even see the kids on if they activated the camera in the room. The teen pocketed it, knowing it would alert them when the triplets woke up.

"I think they feel how relaxed and happy you are here, so they aren't worried," Red shrugged.

"Aw, that's so sweet…" Robin grinned and kissed the other young man. He then was reminded of something and turned to Slade. "By the way, why did you look so damn weird when you came down to the dining room before?"

"I didn't look weird," the mercenary snorted.

"Spill," Robin ordered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Slade looked up and down the hallway to make sure they were alone and then admitted the truth. "I simply didn't like to see you in another man's arms like that."

"You were what, now?" Red butted in.

"What do you mean 'another man'? He's like my father!" Robin exclaimed. "And I only _hugged _him, Red, jeez!"

"He's not your biological father, though, and he's an attractive man… I know nothing would ever happen between the two of you, but walking in on that scene made me… uncomfortable."

"That's nothing compared to what I'm feeling right now…" Robin muttered. "Stop perving on Bruce, Slade, and for the love of god, don't even _think_ about us together!"

"I don't know, the daddy-kink is kinda hot…" Red smirked. "Not with actual incest of course but… you know… Maybe Slade's into that?"

"You think?" Robin blinked and then smirked as he turned towards the man and ran a hand up his chest. "Do you wanna be my daddy, Slade? But what if I'm a bad boy, daddy? What if daddy has to spank me?" he then burst out laughing and shook his head. "This is just too weird. I'll be downstairs talking to Al and Bruce, okay?"

When the cat boy was out of earshot, Red squirmed a little.

"I… didn't think that was too weird… did you?" he asked the mercenary.

"I've never been harder in my life."

A bubbling laugh from the stairs told them that Robin hadn't been far enough away after all.

After their naps the triplets spent most of the rest of the day in their walkers and eventually all of them could push themselves across the floor, although not always in the direction they wanted to go… still they were picking up the skill extremely quickly, but as Robin smugly pointed out; cats were very dexterous in general.

When the clock stuck ten and the children had been in bed for several hours, the adults enjoyed a warm fire and –some of them- a glass of brandy. Robin got a cup of hot coco, but he was pretty sure he got the better deal there, judging by Red's face when the other teen swallowed the strong liquid. Bruce glanced at the clock and began shifting in his seat a little.

"Go, already," Robin laughed when he discovered this. "I know you want to head out on patrol."

"Care to join me?"

"No, not tonight at least… but I want to show Red and Slade Gotham properly, from the rooftops, while we stay here, if you care to babysit a bit one night? They will be asleep so…?"

"I think we can manage," Bruce nodded, glancing at Alfred for support.

"Indeed," the old man nodded. "In fact we expect you to take some time off when you're here anyway. Why don't you go into town tomorrow, do some shopping or go to the cinema, perhaps?"

"Oh, adult time!" Red sighed longingly and then coughed. "I mean… umm… just the three of us… not sex…"

"We gathered as much," Bruce snorted.

"I don't think we'd mind the other kind either," Slade smirked and got an elbow in the side from Robin as a warning.

"Shopping sounds nice, we'll do that," the teen said quickly. "I'm falling asleep where I'm sitting, though, so I think I'll go to bed. Have fun out there, Bruce. Kick some butt."

"Will do." The Dark Knight nodded with a small smirk on his face.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: Yuck, Slade! Don't think about Robin and Bruce like that! Gawd! I'll kick you out of the story!


	19. Thursday, 19th of December 2013

**A/N: **You still here? Well, that's great! **  
**

* * *

**Thursday, 19th of December 2013 **

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Robin asked Alfred for the tenth time.

"We will be perfectly fine, Master Robin," the man answered patiently.

"We'll only be gone for a couple of hours," Slade said, more for the teen's benefit than for the butler's.

"What do you mean 'just a couple of hours'?" Robin hissed. "That's the longest all of us have been away from them! What if they miss us? We'll be all the way downtown, and-" he was cut off by Slade simply picking him off his feet.

"I apologize, but this way we won't get any shopping done until the afternoon," the man told Alfred on his way out of the room.

"I understand perfectly, Sir," the butler nodded.

"I hate you all…" Robin muttered from his place slung over the man's shoulder.

"Well, at least you get to be carried somewhere else than the bedroom?" Red grinned.

"We _could _go to the bedroom though?" Robin suggested. "I'll make it worth your while?" he added and reached down to pinch Slade's buttocks.

"You just want to stay in the house. No deal," the man snorted, showing quite a bit of self control.

"Fine…" the hero sighed. "Wait, maybe we should just say goodbye agai-"

"No."

* * *

"I hate having my tail stuck down my pants…" Robin muttered.

"It was your choice to go incognito," Slade reminded him as the teen pulled on his woolen hat which hid his ears and was uncomfortable as well.

"Of course! I'm known as Robin now, I can't be seen around Bruce or even the Penguin will figure out who he is," the teen said. "And if people recognize me, they might try to follow us back home."

"Heh, remember when the tabloids thought Slade was Batman?" Red snickered. It had happened a few months ago.

"Yes. Those idiots seemed to think that every night I took a plane to Gotham, shaved, grew my eye out and dressed in a cape…" the man snorted.

"Hey, don't diss on capes!" Red and Red both objected.

"Why not? They are incredibly stupid and impractical."

"Says the guy who used to wear huge pirate boots," Robin smirked.

"When you kick as much ass as I do, it's necessary to protect your feet from all the crap…" the man stated.

Robin and Red gave each other a look and silently rolled their eyes.

"So, we're here," Slade said when they walked down one of Gotham's biggest shopping street. "What did you need to buy?"

"I don't 'need' to buy anything, I just thought it would be nice to spend some time together without the kids," the teen said. "I miss the kids," he added with his next breath.

"Well, how about we buy Christmas presents for each other but together?" Red suggested.

"Yes, and I know what I'm getting you two: some new clothes!" Robin decided.

"I have clothes," Slade said.

"All I see you in, if you're not in your uniform, is jeans and t-shirts… and a suit on occasion. I'm getting you a nice sweater or something," the hero told him.

"A sweater?" Slade didn't look over the moon.

"Yes. Possibly. Or a pullover."

"If it has snowmen on it, I'm walking out of the store," the man muttered.

They didn't make it to a store, though, because suddenly a teen on a motorcycle swept past and snatched a handbag from a woman walking a bit ahead of them. He took off on screeching tires before she even had time to scream.

Robin looked up at his mates.

"Fine." Slade sighed. "Let's take him down."

The chase, no; the hunt, was on. Robin took the lead after seeing the bike veer onto a smaller road up ahead, knowing where it was headed and that there were one-way streets with heavy traffic up ahead. The bike might not even be able to fit between the cars if they were lucky. He didn't have his jump cord, but scaled the nearest fire escape like –well… a cat– so quickly that even Slade had trouble keeping up.

All three of them were soon running across the rooftops, though, and the houses were so close that they didn't need any gadgets, Red only needed a boost from Slade once. Robin had no trouble at all and he soon spotted the bike from above.

"I see him! Go that way, cut him off!" he said and pointed. "I'll try to catch up to him!"

The Gotham thief had the surprise of his life a few minutes later when someone landed on the back of his bike and someone else stepped in front of it, grabbing the handlebars and stopping it dead, although the back wheel was still spinning, trying to push the bike forward with all the horsepower it got. It didn't budge. A third person then snatched the bag from his lap, and the young man's day went from good to very, very bad.

* * *

An hour later everything had been sorted with the police and the bag's owner, and Robin had a spring in his step.

"What I don't understand is why people even bother to snatch purses, there can't be much money in that," Slade said.

"Darling," Red sniffed in a high artificial voice, "that bag was a Saint Laurent alligator bag, worth about fourteen and a half thousand. The smart ones don't steal bags for what's _in _them, they want the actual _bag_."

"Huh. Seems I'm in the wrong business," the mercenary shrugged.

"I'm very glad I have selective hearing," Robin chuckled. "Come on, let's have some fun now before I start thinking of the fact that we abandoned our poor, defenseless babies and have no idea how they are doing, and- I'm just going to call Alfred real quick…"

* * *

"I can't believe the little ingrates aren't even missing us…" Robin muttered once the call was over and done with.

"That's good, isn't it? Let's go in here, I saw that snowman sweater Slade wanted," Red said and dragged the other two into a store.

"I did _not_ want that," Slade tried to object.

"I'm sure they have one with reindeer," Robin smirked. "Oh-oh-oh! Wouldn't it be cute of you and Bruce had matching sweaters on Christmas Day?"

"No."

"I would pay to see that… like a LOT…" Red snickered.

"Only if you two get matching lingerie…" the mercenary smirked.

"No," Robin snorted.

"Okay," Red grinned.

"No-no-no don't promise stuff like that or we're going to end up in miniskirts and fishnet stockings," the cat boy hissed.

"Sounds interesting," Slade nodded.

"Okay, no Christmas themed sweaters!" the teen sighed. "Oh, but this is a nice one! The light blue goes so well with your hair!"

"I like it. Does it come in black?"

"… I give up…" the hero groaned.

"Good, let's go get something to eat," Slade suggested.

"No, I'm getting you a pair of silk boxers first… actually, I'm getting us all a few pairs," Red said.

"As long as nothing has lace on it," Robin warned him.

"No, no, I promise, they will be manly as hell," the thief grinned.

* * *

"Hiiii! Mommy missed you so muuuuch!" Robin cried out a few hours later when he came into the sitting room which now functioned more as the children's play room than anything else.

"MAMA!" Oliver cried out and made grabby hands at him. Even Dominic lifted his arms, although silently, while Alexandra smiled brightly and was about to do the same when she noticed Slade.

"DADA!" she shouted. Robin laughed. He didn't feel slighted, he knew those two had something special, and Oliver and Red had a bit of an extra connection as well. In fact, when Red came in after leaving the shopping bags in their room, Oliver wanted to go talk to him, so Robin sat down with Dominic and a book in a chair, reading quietly while the other two pairs horsed around.

"Did you have a pleasant day?" Alfred asked from the door and the hero grinned up at him.

"Oh yes, we even stopped a thief," he smiled. "And you, were they a lot to deal with?"

"They were perfect angels."

"Liar, they even run_ me_ ragged when I'm alone with them," the teen grinned. "But don't worry, we won't wear you out as a babysitter, it's the holidays for you too. Please tell us if it gets to be too much, or they are too loud, or-"

"Today has been the most fun I've had in a long, long time," the old man smiled. "Although I'm afraid I had to disconnect the button that played 'London Bridge' on the walkers, because that _was_ driving me a bit crazy…"

"I don't blame you," Robin chuckled.

"Dinner is in an hour, if you'd like to freshen up? Master Bruce will be home from the office any minute."

"Slade? Red? I'm about to read this book with Dominic, so if any of you want to go shower and change first…?" Robin offered.

"I'll go," Slade nodded. "Do you want to go to mommy and listen to a story, princess?" he asked Alexandra.

Robin just happened to still be looking at Alfred when those words came out of the mercenary's mouth, and the sight was quite amusing, as if the butler wondered if Slade had been replaced by an alien clone. The expression then merged into a soft smile, and the old man gave Robin a nod before he left. 'You've chosen well' it seemed to say, and the hero knew he had.

* * *

That evening he and Red curled up in a couch and hit the books.

"So, example question number two…" Robin said and read from his book. "It goes like this; 'You are approaching a railroad crossing with no warning devices and are unable to see 400 feet down the tracks in one direction. Is the speed limit fifteen, twenty or twenty five miles per hour?'"

"Isn't it whatever the fuck it says on the sign?" Red groaned.

"No, one of the three. _Guess _at least!"

"Fine, it makes sense to go slow, so fifteen."

"That's correct!"

"Yay! What did I win?"

"A kiss," Robin grinned and leaned forwards.

"I _like_ this kind of studying…" the thief smirked before their lips met.

"If this is how you learn traffic rules you'll get your licenses when you're fifty," Slade said a while later from the door.

"Busted!" the redhead muttered. They had gotten a bit carried away, but Robin didn't blush until he saw that Bruce was standing next to the man looking mildly disapproving and uncomfortable.

"Um… sorry?" the hero mumbled. "But we really were studying! We are going through the example questions!"

"And how far have you gotten?" Slade wanted to know.

"Um… two?"

"You better get back to work. There will be no driving test until you pass the written one… and your first chance to do that is tomorrow, I have just printed the questions for you."

"You enjoy this, don't you? You're nursing some kind of school teacher fetish deep down…" Red snorted.

"Bruce helped."

"Yes, well, I already know_ he_ gets off on that kind of stuff," Robin huffed.

"Study," his guardian growled.

* * *

And study they did. Even Red buckled down and focused, because he did _not _want to fail a test if Robin passed it, and the thought of the hero failing was laughable. True, not even he was familiar with every obscure rule, but his brain seemed to suck up facts and numbers like a dry sponge. Red's brain –he complained– was more like a Teflon pan.

"Are you going to go to bed before the kids wake up?" Slade asked them a little before midnight, making the teens finally give up and just hope for the best.

"It was great day today, wasn't it?" Robin beamed when he had nuzzled down between his two mates in bed shortly after.

"Studying for hours? Yeah, it was amaaaaazing," Red muttered dryly.

"I meant when we got that thief," Robin snorted. "It was a rush, I loved it!"

"You sound like it was better than sex," the redhead yawned. When he didn't get a reply he lifted himself up on an elbow and looked down at Robin. "Wait… you did think it was better than sex, didn't you?"

"Weeeell…" the hero squirmed. "We _do_ have sex quite often, but it's not every day I get to take down a criminal nowadays!" Robin defended himself.

"Slade you're doing a bad job!" Red complained.

The man, who had been quiet so far, snorted. "If you kids go to sleep right now, I'll take you out into the city tomorrow night," he muttered.

"Firstly, its more _my_ city than _yours_," Robin sniffed, "so I'll be taking_ you_ out… and secondly; yaaaay!"

"Go to sleep," the man told him.

"I think we wore him out today with the shopping…" Red stage whispered to Robin. "maybe you shouldn't have made him try on all those sweaters."

"But I wanted to watch him take them off… it was hot," Robin whispered back.

"The children will be awake in five hours," Slade pointed out.

"Yes, hush, we're trying to sleep," Red let him know sternly.

"I think I'll go share Bruce's bed," Slade muttered, which threw the others into a giggling fit that lasted well past midnight.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: Slade sneaking into Bruce's bed though… whispering "I couldn't sleep"… dear lord on a cracker, I'd like to see that…


	20. Friday, 20th of December 2013

**A/N: **Wow. So Friday. Much Christmas feels.

* * *

**Friday, 20th of December 2013**

The kittens were so busy with their walkers that Robin almost felt neglected, and he wasn't alone.

"It's like those plastic things with wheels on them are more fun than we are," Red muttered after breakfast the next morning. The kids had been so eager to get back into their new toys that they could barely concentrate on their food, not even Dominic, who's turn it was to have breast milk.

"I know, and I really needed to empty out these things, they haven't getting milk regularly for a few days, and look! I mean, do you see how swollen they are?" Robin complained and cupped his breasts, which were barely big enough to cup anyway, but yes, Red could see they looked fuller… and a little rounder… and-

"Stop staring at my boobs," Robin snorted.

"Hey, you are the one who shoved them in my face and told me to look!"

"Look, yes. Ogle, no."

"Pft, same thing, Malibu Barbie."

"Oh, that's it, you're dead!" Robin growled playfully and attacked.

They play-wrestled on the floor for a while, until they heard a sigh from the doorway.

"Really now, you_ are_ parents," Alfred scolded them.

"We're just having fun," Robin chuckled and sat up, seeing that Bruce and Slade had joined them as well.

"Bruce? You're not at work yet?"

"I… have a… a… telephone conference."

"Oh, okay, will you join us for lunch later, then?"

"I… yes… probably…"

"Um… what's wrong with you?" the young hero asked, befuddled.

"Robin, your shirt is open," Slade explained dryly.

"What? But what does- OH GOD!"

"I WASN'T LOOKING!" Bruce exclaimed.

"It's 'ogling'," Red smirked.

"I-I-I… I'll be I my office," the billionaire said and fled.

"I can't believe he looked!" Robin groaned and hurriedly buttoned every last button.

"I wouldn't take it personally, Master Robin, men tend to stare at anything that resembles the female form."

"Oh dear god, you too?" the teen groaned.

"Awkwaaaard…" Red grinned, but seemed to be having fun.

"I was going to ask if you're ready for the test?" Slade spoke up.

"… Maybe I should open a few buttons again?" Robin contemplated.

"Bribery will get you nowhere," the mercenary told him.

"Damn."

They were herded into the dining room and made to sit down on opposite sides of the large table.

"Alfred is watching the kids, I'll be watching _you_," Slade told them as he handed out the tests and pencils.

"You don't have to watch us, we're adults!" Robin snorted.

"_You_ might be, but I'm staying for_ his_ sake," the man said and nodded to the thief.

"Hey, I wouldn't cheat!" Red objected.

"Then I hope I won't catch you trying to roll your sleeves up, to look at what you have written down there," Slade said dryly.

"Red!" Robin exclaimed.

"What, it's just a great way to remember stuff!" the other teen claimed, trying to look innocent.

"You have an hour. Go."

* * *

"Stop fidgeting, you know you passed," Red growled at Robin a little over an hour later, as Slade was correcting the tests.

"No I don't!" Robin muttered. "It was tricky!"

"Yeah, but I _don't _really think the short essay about 'Why I look up to Slade' was in the original test."

"Me neither… and not only because these tests don't have those types of questions, " the young detective grinned, and then looked worried again. "I wonder how much that counts towards the final score?"

"Not a lot, I hope, because I wrote 'fuck you'," Red smirked.

"Argh! I didn't have the guts to do that! I softened him up by playing the 'you're such a good father' card…" Robin admitted.

"Ah, that was clever… should have thought of that one."

The door opened at that point and the two teens actually straightened up as Slade came into the room.

"I have the result-"

"Just tell us! Don't you _dare_ drag it out!" Robin whined.

"I would think that 'father knows best'?" the man smirked.

"Um, yeah, about my essay…" Red gulped.

"The 'fuck you' one?" the man asked innocently.

"Yes, I… um.. .got cut off there, I meant to write 'Fuck you do extremely well, including many other things too numerous to mention'," the young man claimed.

"Noted."

"_Please_ just tell us!" Robin now pleaded.

"You both passed, dinner is ready."

"YAAAAAY!" the teens hooted and hugged each other, and then attacked Slade as well with their affections.

"I can't believe I passed!" Red grinned with his whole face. It occurred to Robin that the young man had really taken this seriously and actually been worried. The former Titan had taken it seriously too, of course, because he knew that the man wouldn't give him his license unless he deserved it, but he suspected it meant more to the thief to have proven himself.

"I'm so proud of you. See, you don't have a teflon brain!" he smiled and kissed him.

"Schools out, time to be parents again," Slade told them. "Diapers need to be changed before dinner."

"Yes, Mister Wilson," Robin purred. "And later tonight, maybe we can work on some extra credit?"

"Well,_ he_ is going to have to do that, anyway," the mercenary said, nodding at Red. "The faculty was_ not_ impressed by your essay."

"I'll do all the extra work, I promise!" the thief grinned.

Robin ended up snoozing with the kids that afternoon so when the night came he was fully ready to go.

"You're heading out as well?" Bruce asked.

"Um, yes, damn we forgot to tell you… Al, are you okay with it? We won't be out that late, and the kids are sleeping, all you have to do is keep the monitor close, but if-"

"It is no problem, I seldom go to bed before Master Bruce comes home," the butler said.

"About that, I'm just doing some surveillance tonight, so no need to stay up and worry about me," the billionaire told him urgently. "Go to bed, you'll be closer to the children if they need you."

"Very well, of course I will make them my priority," the butler nodded.

"Thank you, Al," Robin smiled. "They rarely wake up. If they do, just carry them around a bit. They only get a bottle as a very last resort or if they haven't been eating well, but they were all complete gluttons today, so they shouldn't be hungry…"

"That's settled, then," Slade said.

"Bruce, should we come with you? Do you need any help?" the young hero asked his mentor.

"Um, no, no, I've got it covered. I could use someone to keep an eye on the docks tonight, though, if you're heading that way… there's always something going on down there."

"We'll do a round down there, I just want to show them down town first," the teen said. "The docks aren't exactly glamorous."

"All we want is glamour," Red snickered.

"Oh, shut up and lets go already!" Robin grinned.

* * *

The Gotham air was- well, not fresh, it was Gotham after all, but filled with interesting and alluring scents. It almost had a texture of sorts, and Robin breathed it in with a big smile on his face. Jump might be home now, but this… this was where he was _born_. Not literally, no, but this was _Robin's_ womb, this what where he had fought, laughed, bled, cried, taunted… and now he was running over these rooftops, peering down into these alleys, with his mates by his side. His family. And it was perfect.

None of them were wearing their uniforms, not even Slade. They were dressed in dark colors, not wanting to advertise who they were if anyone should see them. Robin was really out just to see the city again, show it off to the others, especially Red, but when a scream pierced the night he turned on his heel and ran towards it.

It was two female tourists who had found themselves on the outskirts of the Narrows, which wasn't a good place to be even at noon on a Sunday. At ten at night on a Friday, it was suicide.

Luckily they got there in time, if only just, to save the women from the gang surrounding them. Robin had to admit that he enjoyed the fight. His cat genes had –perhaps− made him just a tiny bit blood thirsty. It wasn't a pleasant thought or something he was proud of, but when he had fought before it had always been about defending the city, defending the weak, making sure crime didn't pay. Now the first and foremost thing on his mind was about showing these people their place, making sure they knew who was in charge and who the better fighter was… and if they ran, well… it was almost better to _chase_.

With the three of them against only ten gang members, all younger than twenty, the fight was over almost before it had begun.

"Show the women out of here, make sure they get a cab. A _real _one," Robin told Red.

"Why me?"

"Because you probably look the least scary to them right now," the cat grinned, his eyes and teeth gleaming in the dark.

"Right."

"Let's tie them up and then I'll set off the signal," Robin ordered his oldest mate. Bruce had given them a handful of small devices which, when activated, told the Gotham police where they could go and collect some thugs. Robin didn't bother getting witness reports from the women or even leaving a note: the cops were bound to have something on the gang members and if not at least they would be off the streets for a night or two. He hated to admit it, but it was all he could do here. Back in Jump it was different, but Gotham was so corrupt, and he didn't want to make his presence her official if he could help it.

Still, he had saved two lives and made sure a few gang members knew that there were things to fear in the dark besides themselves…

They took off again, and Robin pointed out the locations of some of his and Batman's more dramatic adventures.

"Kid, you should be dead so many time over…" Red muttered in awe after one story.

"Glad I'm not?" Robin grinned.

"Ecstatic. Really! But it kinda makes me go all Slade on you and lock you up somewhere safe."

"Since when has Slade done that?" Robin snorted and looked over at the man, who had a grim expression on his face.

"Oh, he hasn't, we've just talked about it… you know, keeping you barefoot and pregnant."

"I think that's my cue to go feral," the teen muttered.

"We were only joking," Slade told him, but his voice wasn't convincing enough.

"Hey, you two can't complain about other people hurting me, you both wanted to do that just a few years ago," the hero pointed out. "Bad guys, remember? I bet you had t-shirts saying 'a good Titan is a dead Titan'."

"Did not! I had one with you guys and a tentacle monster, though…" Red said.

"What?"

"Don't worry, you looked to be enjoying yourself. Cyborg… not so much."

"Where the hell did you get that?!"

"From a guy on the street painting t-shirts. You even wore it a few times."

"No, I didn't! I've never seen it!"

"Um… well, it's almost completely washed out… the one you teased me about because you thought it had flowers on it…?"

"Oh dear god… Slade, don't tell me you had a t-shirt like that too?"

"Of course not," the man snorted. "Might have had a key-chain, though."

"But seriously, we never wanted you dead!" Red objected. "Well, Slade might, but I didn't! I'm a thief, I steal hearts, not lives."

"Casanova…" Robin rolled his eyes.

"I never wanted you dead either, I wanted you to join me, if you remember?" the man shrugged.

"Oh, no, I completely forgot about that little obsession of yours…" the hero snorted.

"It was a bit of an obsession, yes," the man surprisingly admitted. "Sometimes I wonder…"

"What?" the teen asked, looking a bit worried. Truth be told he didn't want Slade to reflect too much on their relationship in case the man suddenly went 'what the hell am I doing?' and left.

"My… 'obsession'…" Slade came closer to him, moving languidly like a jaguar through the shadows. The whole thing made the hairs on Robin's neck and tail stand on end a little. It felt like he was being hunted. The man came to a stop right in front of him and his hand caressed and tightened on the teen's neck. "I wanted to possess you, own you, _dominate_ you… my senses are nowhere as heightened as yours are now, but sometimes I wonder if I, deep down, _knew_… knew what you were and what role I was meant to play in your life. And it drove me _crazy_ that you wouldn't submit to me," the man added in a low growl before their lips crashed together.

Robin knew he could have objected to the man's show of dominance, but the idea didn't appeal to him one bit. Slade's words had made his knees go weak and he clung to the much larger frame, letting out a mewl as the man's lips left his only to bite down on his neck. Something was missing, though, and he reached out for Red, who came up behind him, kissed the other side of his neck as he caressed him from behind.

At that moment it occurred to Robin what Red's role in their relationship was. Slade was right; he was dominating; he wanted to be in complete control, and if he had found Robin on his own… well, the whole thing might have turned out very differently, and probably not happily. Now he had been forced to share with Red, though, who kept things lighter, who acted like a buffer between Slade's need of control and Robin's need for freedom. Red was the one who had made their love possible, no one else. The thief was the most important member of their pack.

"I love you," Robin panted. "Both of you. So much. I want you! Now!"

"You mean as in right now?" Red asked.

"Never question the cat," Slade said with an amused snort.

"Exactly," Robin purred.

* * *

Their tryst on the rooftop left them satisfied but cold, so they decided to call it a night and head home. They found themselves in bed before midnight, which was really early but Red was already asleep after being up so late the previous night.

"I'm hungry, I'm just going to sneak down for a snack," Robin whispered to Slade, who nodded and lifted his arm so the cat could shimmy out of bed and don a short robe over his underwear.

When he got closer to the kitchen he saw that a light was on and grinned. Bruce must be back and was making himself a midnight snack as well, as he had sent Alfred to bed.

"Hi, were you also-" Robin began as he walked through the door. Then he stopped dead. Someone was looking through the fridge, bent over, but the ass wriggling at him was definitely not Bruce's…

"Well, hello there…" the woman in the tight purple outfit purred. "Looks like the cat is out of the bag…"

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: Aaaand this was for my dear wife Catriona… she actually asked for this ages ago, just after I finished the last Kitty Litter story, I think, so I'm not even sure she remembers… or is even reading the story!


	21. Saturday, 21st of December 2013

A/N: If you didn't figure out who the woman from yesterday was, you're… a bit thick… but now you'll find out for sure! ;)

* * *

**Saturday, 21st of December 2013 **

"Catwoman!" Robin's jaw was practically on the floor.

"Very astute, Robin. Hungry?"

"I- I'm not Robin! I… Um… I… I'm going to call the police!" the teen said in a desperate attempt to pretend that he was Dick Grayson. Well… _only_ Dick Grayson. With cat ears. Shit.

"Relax Sweetie, Bruce is down in the Batcave, showering," the woman snorted and proceeded to take out a jar of peanut butter and placing it on the counter where a few other sandwich ingredients already stood. She grabbed a carton of milk next and sniffed it to make sure it was still good.

"What…? I… He's… What?"

"Oh deary me, did you turn into a cat with a bird brain?" the woman chuckled as she continued, calmly, to make a sandwich. "If you want a snack you're going to have to make it yourself, you know, I'm not your nanny," she added over her shoulder.

"…snack?"

"I'm guessing you came down here because you were hungry, weren't you, poor little thing?" The voice was mocking but not unfriendly. Robin was about to find his wits again when a shadow fell over the doorstep.

"Selina, here you a-"

"Hi sweetie," the woman smiled innocently.

"Sweetie?" Robin croaked.

"Yes?" She now turned a teasing grin towards Robin instead.

"Robin, I… I can explain…" Bruce began.

"You… you two are…? But she's… she's a thief!" Robin objected.

"Think about that one and you'll realize that's an argument you can't use," the woman told him as she licked the knife she had used to apply the peanut butter.

"Right," the younger hero nodded. "Sorry."

"If I had been offended, you would have _felt_ it, pussy cat," she answered. Robin sensed that she wasn't joking.

"Now don't start a fight here," Bruce cautioned them.

"Fight? I _love_ cats! And look at him, he perfect! I would _almost_ make a sandwich for him." Selina exclaimed, reached out and scratched Robin's ear. She did it just right too, making a rumble grow in his chest. Then the teen blinked and pulled away.

"Just a moment! You're dating? Each other? Does Alfred know?"

"He does now," the butler's dry voice said from the hallway.

"Oh goddammit…" Bruce groaned.

"Seems I finally get to meet the family," Selina grinned. "Al, you need to stock up on smooth peanut butter."

"Master Bruce prefers chunky," the old man said, still in the same wry voice.

"Does he now?" the woman looked over at the billionaire. "I'm breaking up with you."

"Wait, what? No! What? Why?" Bruce spluttered. Robin realized that they hadn't been many complete sentences uttered in this kitchen lately, not from him or his mentor anyway.

"A cat's gotta have what a cat's gotta have," the woman shrugged. "Isn't that right, kitten?" she asked Robin, who just blinked again.

"Alfred can buy the smooth stuff as well!" Bruce exclaimed.

"I know, sweetie, I was only teasing you. Of course I'm not breaking up with you. Let's go upstairs and have make up sex."

"I didn't need to hear that," the teen groaned.

"Said the one with two lovers doing him," snorted the woman.

"_I_ didn't need to hear that," Bruce muttered.

"Oh, come on. Three men? You're all hounds, you know, sweetie, of course the kitten sees a lot of action. Come now, let's bring this snack to bed."

"One moment, Miss?" Alfred spoke up.

"Yes?" the woman raised an eyebrow.

"Shall I expect you for breakfast in the morning?" the butler asked.

"You know what?" Selina said, looking up at a Bruce who still seemed a bit shell-shocked, "maybe this kitty _will _stick around for once…"

When the pair left, Robin grabbed a slice of bread and started chewing on it, just to have something to do while his brain processed what just had happened. Alfred tidied up, seemingly on automatic as well.

"I'll be damned…" the teen eventually mumbled.

"Language, Master Robin! But yes, I'm bound to agree."

"I… just… wow." It seemed the brain-processing thing hadn't really run its course yet. "I mean, I knew they had a_ thing_… like a flirting thing… but I didn't know that they actually… you know…"

"Well, I have to admit that I suspected something…" the butler looked a bit ashamed of himself. "When Master Bruce dismisses me like he did this evening, I tend to find a few messes in the morning, and just the other week I found a glass with lipstick on it."

"I hear that Batman can retire and you can take over!" Robin grinned. "So you decided to stay up tonight and see what was going on?"

"Well, I… yes." The man looked even more abashed now.

"Don't worry, I won't tell… you have a right to know, I think, but I also get that he'd want to keep things quiet… I mean, has it been going on long?"

"Only about two months or so."

"So still new, then… But still… he's… dating?"

"That is very good news, I would say, although I'm not sure Miss Kyle is quite suitable as the lady of the house," the butler sighed.

"She'll make life interesting, I bet…" Robin snorted and then couldn't help chuckling as he popped the last piece of bread in his mouth and reached for a glass, filling it with milk. "She's much better than one of those socialites, though. Imagine him marrying someone who's only interested in his money? Someone he has to hide his identity from? He obviously doesn't have that problem with Selina, at least not anymore…"

"But do you trust her, Master Robin? What if she robs us blind?"

"She can't carry that much," the teen grinned. "And… yes, Bruce obviously trusts her , so I think we can too. If he hadn't been a good judge of character he would be married to some gold digger by now, after all."

"I see your point. Well, I'll head back to bed then… seems I have extra pancakes to make in the morning."

"Night Alfred… and thank you for looking after the kids tonight… they didn't bother you, did they?"

"Not in the slightest, goodnight Master Robin" the old man smiled.

Robin rinsed his glass out, padded upstairs, quickly brushed his teeth and climbed into bed between his two mates.

"Argh… why always over _me_…?" Red muttered.

"I've told you before, because you're smaller," Robin whispered with a giggle and snuggled close to him.

"Damn straight he is," Slade mumbled in his ear from his other side, and soon they were all asleep once more.

* * *

A few hours later, in the morning, there was a knock on the door.

"What?" Slade called out gruffly, having just woken up.

"The children are awake, Sir," Alfred's voice said through the door.

"Shit!" Robin flew up and swung the door open. "I forgot to take the monitor back last night, I'm sorry!"

"Do not worry about it, but three children and making breakfast at the same time is a bit much for me," the butler told him, and looked like he hated to admit it.

"Trust me, I know, it's too much for anyone," Robin smiled and hurried across the hallway closely followed by Slade and Red.

It turned out that the kittens were in a good mood even though they had been forced to wait a bit, which was very unusual. Normally they tended to cry when they felt neglected in the slightest, but they were all smiles focused on the woman in the room.

"Selina!" Robin hissed and dashed between her and the children.

"Whoa there, kitten, what got your tail so poofy? You knew I was here!" Catwoman, who was dressed in one of Bruce's shirts and little else it seemed, said, raising her hands.

"Who's the chick?" Red frowned, joining Robin's side.

"Chick?" The woman didn't look pleased.

"Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman," Slade growled. "If you're thinking of adding kidnapping to your repertoire, you might want to write up a will first."

"She's Bruce's… _guest_," Robin let them know and took a deep breath, his tail getting less thick and his ears rising a little. "I'm just not pleased about walking in on my kids with a stranger."

"Ah… their dating experiences will be fun, then," the woman smirked. "And stand down, soldier-boy," she added to Slade. "I'm not here to steal your brats, I was just curious. Seems I have gotten more than _that _curiosity satisfied, though," she added and let her eyes travel over their almost naked bodies with a leer on her lips. The gaze landed on Slade. "I've heard Deathstroke was packing… seems they were right."

"I'm very uncomfortable with all of this," Robin muttered as he saw Slade smirk back at her. "We have diapers to change, we'll see you at breakfast."

"Dirty diapers are not my thing," the woman agreed and headed for the door.

"Too much of a pussy?" Slade smirked at her as she passed. Robin heard a sharp sound and saw the mercenary flinch a tiny bit.

"Oh, almost broke my fingers…" the woman muttered and shook her hand as she left the room.

"Did she just slap your ass?" the hero gaped.

"Yes. Almost hurt too," the man said and rubbed the spot. "Care to tell me how you knew she was in the house?"

After Robin had explained, he realized that Red X had been very quiet for an unusually long time and turned to look at him. The other teen was staring at the door, looking stunned.

"Red? Um… are you okay?" the hero asked.

"That... that was Catwoman? _The_ Catwoman?"

"I'm afraid so," Robin sighed.

"Would it… would it be really uncool if I asked for her autograph?"

"What?"

"She's my hero! My role model! She's amazing! She's clever, and flirty and amazing and-"

"Change a diaper, fan-boy, or one is soon going to hit you in the face," Slade snorted.

Eventually the kids all got changed, dressed and fed, and the parents could sit down to their own breakfast with the guest, who was submitted to a third degree interrogation by Red X.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," the woman answered one of the many questions and glanced at Bruce. "We'll talk later, little thief."

"Selina, what didn't you tell me?" Bruce rumbled.

"You are sooooo cooooool!" Red groaned.

"I think we have been dumped, Slade," Robin sighed.

"Would it help if I bought a bull whip?" the man wanted to know.

"Oh that would be sexy," Red grinned. "Are you going to dress all in leather too?"

"I think this conversation just strayed into the uncomfortable zone again," Robin muttered.

It was Saturday, meaning Bruce didn't have to go to the office and Selina didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave either.

Robin was on the floor playing with the kids when she joined him, almost edging into their play like she wasn't sure if she was welcome but also didn't want to ask permission.

"Ga-gabaaa!" Oliver grinned and held out a red block for her. Robin had collected a little pile of them in different shapes and was going through their colors.

"Well thank you, cutie!" Selina said and took the block, placing it on top of another one, which deeply impressed the kittens.

"What's the color? What's this color, Oliver?" Robin asked, pointing to it.

"Ed!"

"Yes! Red! Red. Very good."

"Ed! Da-da!"

"Yes, your daddy is named Red too. Like the color," the teen smiled, not knowing if the boy really had made that connection or not, but encouraging him all the same.

"Booo," Dominic suddenly said, and pointed to a blue building block.

"Yes, blue! Clever boy." Robin beamed.

"Oh, this is boring! Kids, watch this," the woman said and quickly built a little tower out of the blocks. she then made sure she had the babies attention, and, with a sweep of her hand, knocked it over.

Three pairs of eyes grew very large and Robin didn't know for a moment if they would start crying or not, but then Alexandra laughed and waved her arms, obviously wanting a repeat performance. She was joined by her brother's and soon Selina was building and the kids knocked the towers down.

"What are they having so much fun with?" Slade asked, as he came into the room.

"Tearing things down," Robin muttered. "Selina has turned them into hooligans!"

"She has? Thank you!" The man grinned. "Here I was afraid they would grow up to be goody two-shoes like their mother."

"Well, we can't have_ that_ happen," the woman grinned.

"You two play with them, then, I've been longing to hit the gym since I got here. I'm taking Red," Robin sighed and stood up.

"You go do that. Oh, by the way, Alfred said that Leslie is coming for dinner today," Slade told him.

"Oh, that's great, I can't wait to see her!" Robin smiled. "Where's Red?"

"He decided that you should do the driving test soon, so I think he went to the garage to check which car he wanted to do it in," the man shrugged. "Apparently a van isn't 'his style'."

"Oh dear god, if he touches the cars Bruce is gonna go bat shit crazy," the teen groaned and hurried out of the room.

* * *

Robin managed to stop Red from 'just seeing if the Ferrari started', and coaxed him into training with him. They hit the gym and then they sparred until neither one had enough energy left to more than roll around on the mat, tickle fighting.

They ended up lying next to each other, just laughing and talking for almost an hour.

"Dinner in one hour," Alfred's voice said over the intercom speakers.

"We better go shower and dress, Leslie is coming," Robin sighed and sat up. "Thank you for working out with me," he added, giving the other teen a soft kiss on the lips.

"Thank you for not killing me," Red grinned back.

"I have use of you," Robin shrugged. "Oh, by the way, we have to dress the babies in something cute for dinner!"

"We must?"

"Yes, of course, we have guests!"

"You are just nervous because she is their doctor, right? Are you afraid she's not going to like what she sees and shove them back in there?"

"Ow." Robin shuddered. "But, yeah, it's a bit like their grandmother seeing them, you know…?"

"If Bruce and Selina marries-"

"Oh, no, don't say it-!"

"-Catwoman is gonna be their granny! That's so epic!"

"Aargh…" Robin groaned. "They don't need more criminals in their lives! No offence."

"Pfft, none taken. Let's go make out in the shower?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Robin grinned.

"Last one there does oral!" Red shouted and took off.

"Cheater!" the hero yelled out and leaped after him… and Robin was quick.

When they reached the shower, Robin winning, it was occupied by Slade, however, who had also decided to freshen up before dinner.

"Well, Red, we never said the loser just had to do _one_ of us," Robin snickered.

"Fine," the thief said and tore his clothes off. Robin just barely had time to get suspicious when the redhead jumped in under the spray and smirked at him. "I won. I'm first in the shower!"

"But-"

"Seems fair to me, Robin," Slade grinned. "So, what did you say about both of us…?"

"That I hate you and you should beg me to me allowed to worship my body?" Robin muttered as he stripped himself. He admitted defeat, though, and sank to his knees between his two mates in the large shower. "You both better come really, really quickly," he told them sternly as he stroked both lengths.

"How about whoever comes first gets to fuck you tonight, and the other gets nothing?" Red said.

"No more bets, just come quickly or I'll use the scratchy part of my tongue on you," the cat warned them.

"Any tongue at_ all_ would be nice," Slade pointed out, and just for that Robin started with Red.

* * *

All of them, including the babies, managed to get to the dinner table in time and look presentable as well. Selina had left by then, stating she needed some 'alone-time', but Doctor Leslie had shown up on time. Robin handed the woman her Christmas gift –the set of hand and foot prints– but asked her to open it at home, as he didn't want Bruce and Alfred to see what they would be getting.

"I thought the kids probably had enough toys and clothes," the woman said after thanking him, "So I brought my bag… they might not appreciate a full physical, but I have a feeling you will."

"Oh, yes, thank you.. oh, and… it's that time again, right?"

"Yes, time for their vaccinations," the woman smiled. "No wonder they look worried to see me…"

They had flown Leslie down for the kid's first vaccination when they barely two months, because as the children were so small and different from humans, they all wanted someone who could keep an eye on them for a few days, and at that time Robin found it even harder to trust strangers.

"Well, if we do it today they will have recovered until Christmas, anyway…" Robin sighed, remembering that they had gotten a bit of a fever last time. "Oh, they are teething, by the way!"

"They grow so fast, don't they?" the woman smiled and cooed at Dominic, who shouldn't be able to remember what she had did to him last time they had met, but still looked very skeptical.

"I think you are forgetting something else we want to check," Slade said.

"Oh?" Robin blinked and then it dawned on him "Yes, Leslie, I'm not sure we _can_ check, but… we want to know if either of the boys are like me, if they are carriers…? It's kinda important to know when they get older and we need to tell them about the birds and the bees and-"

"The frogs," Red filled in.

"Frogs?"

"Well, some frogs can change gender, I thought that would be more useful than birds and bees…"

"Let's not make things even more complicated here…" Robin sighed.

"We have Bruce's ultra sound machine and a short examination won't bother them. I can't promise that I will see anything yet, though, and I don't want to do anything more… invasive."

"Of course not!" Robin choked, remember how personal she had gotten with him.

Alfred then came in with the main course, distracting the teen from those unpleasant thoughts.

* * *

"Yes, I know it feels cold and icky, sweetie…" the woman said calmingly to a disgruntled Dominic as she smeared the gel needed for the ultrasound on his stomach. The kids had all been weighed, measured, prodded and listened to and declared perfectly healthy. Before their shots, though, Leslie had suggested that they should take a look at the boys.

"I can't see anything unusual…" she said after a while. "That said, I'm not sure if I would… let's take a look at Oliver next."

When the brothers had switched places, the woman hummed to herself a bit and took her time, before nodding. "I still can't be sure, but I'd say Ollie here has some extra parts."

"Oh, great, now we'll need to keep him on a leash too," Red muttered. "What? I mean, if he goes into heat and stuff when he's older? Slade, you realize that Alexandra might do that, right?"

Apparently the mercenary hadn't thought of that, because he went a bit pale.

"I think Slade just decided to kill all males on the planet," Robin snorted.

"Of course not," the man muttered. "I was thinking within a ten mile radius..."

"Does this mean that he's gay, though? Or bi at least? Or how does it work?" Red asked.

"I have no idea," Robin shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"No, I just wanna coach him in how to attract the right gender, you know? Like if you wanna impress boys; eat worms, and if you wanna impress girls; pull their pig tails."

"Um… I think you shouldn't be in charge of first crushes, no matter what…" Robin muttered.

"You still have quite some time before anything could happen," the doctor told them, "and Bruce and I are both looking into contraceptives that might work with your kind… maybe those will dampen the heats? I'm sure you'll get a chance to try them out once they are ready."

"Sounds to me like the bat doesn't want any more grandchildren," Red smirked and looked over at the man, who raised his hands.

"Just not any _unplanned _ones, I know how hard it has been on all of you and thought we might be able to help… but we'll stop looking into it if-"

"No, no, please continue," Robin and Slade hurriedly said at the same time, but probably for different reasons.

"Alright then," the doctor said and wiped off the gel from Oliver's stomach. "Let's plunge some needles in your arms, shall we?"

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: evil needles. And hey! Oliver can become a mommy! Who knew? Well… I did…


	22. Sunday, 22nd of December 2013

**A/N: **The beginning of this chapter has one of my favorite scenes, but I'm not sure if it came out 'right'… in my head it's hilarious, though…

* * *

**Sunday, 22nd of December 2013 **

"Poor little boy, what did the horrible people do to you last night?" Selina asked Oliver, who she was holding in her arms.

"That was nothing compared to what they did to _us _afterwards…" Red mumbled. The night had been rough as the children all had been slightly feverish and finicky, and on top of that both Dominic and Alexandra had gotten diarrhea, although if that was because of the vaccination or not Robin didn't know. With all the crying and diaper changes they had all been up almost the whole night, and Oliver was talking as softly as Dominic at the moment, apparently complaining about being mistreated.

"Is there anything that would make you feel better, little man?" the woman asked.

Robin half expected the answer to be 'ikeam' but instead the blue eyed boy looked thoughtful for a moment and then he reached out with a chubby hand, grabbed as much of Selina's left boob as he possibly could, squeezed it, and went "Mooo!"

As Catwoman wasn't about to give up the goods, Robin did, and soon happy, chatty Oliver was back. A spot of milk was apparently just the thing to cheer a kitten up.

"I didn't come here to get molested by a five month old," the woman said and looked around, "Where's Bruce?"

"You want _him_ to molest you, huh?" Robin grinned.

"Yes." Selina looked him straight in the eye, without a trace of a blush or a blink, and the teen was the one to look away instead, feeling his face heating up.

"I regret that I asked," he muttered.

"Actually Batman can't visit your cat-cave right now," Red spoke up, "He promised to take us out driving."

"I did? Damn." The man himself just walked in, and as the hallway was quite long, he had probably heard the whole conversation. "Can't Slade take you?"

"Yes, he can. Repeatedly," Red, who obviously didn't think there had been enough innuendoes already, leered.

"It would be your car, though, because I don't think he want us to practice in the van in Gotham traffic," Robin shrugged.

"Meaning it's Ferrari time!" the redhead shouted.

"The hell it is, you can take the old town car, the brown one. Robin , if you let him near the others, I swear…"

"I won't, I won't…" the teen sighed. "So… you won't take us, then?"

The man glanced at his new 'girlfriend' and then sighed.

"Well, I _did_ promise you…"

"No, no, don't worry about it," Robin smiled, knowing that look. "I'll just ask if Alfred has time to look after the kids, okay?"

"We can do that," Selina shrugged, and the smile slipped off Robin's face.

"Um, thank you… Bruce, may I have a word?"

"Certainly."

Once they were in another room and had closed the door, Robin fidgeted, wondering how to say it.

"You don't want Selina to watch the children," his guardian stated. You didn't need to be the world's greatest detective to read the situation right.

"It's not that I think she'll harm them in any way!" Robin tried to explain. "But she's new and… she might get bored and leave or something or… she's just too new!"

"I understand. Ask Alfred and I'll… distract Selina."

"Oh, that would be a great sacrifice for you, wouldn't it?" Robin grinned.

"Very."

"Thank you… for understanding, I mean."

"Oh, I just didn't want to get stuck with another diaper change," the billionaire shrugged.

* * *

Slade had taken a bit of a break from family life and was working out, but Red and Robin dragged him away from the gym, or rather, they asked politely for his help, which might have included some flirting.

"All you need to do is tell us where to go and then tell us we passed and give us our licenses," Red shrugged.

"Oh, is that all?" the man smirked. "Alright. Which car should we take then?"

"Bruce said not to touch any of his expensive ones," Robin informed him.

"And since when do I listen to what Bruce says?" Slade wanted to know.

"FERRARRI TIME!" Red hollered.

"More like Volvo time," the hero growled.

"Two against one!" Red tried.

"Yes, but it's me against you two, good against evil, so I automatically win," Robin grinned.

* * *

He _did_ win, at least to a certain extent, because they didn't take one of the sports cars… although Bruce's nice Mercedes wasn't, perhaps, the car the billionaire had hoped they would use. Still, it was a compromise, Robin decided, and one he regretted after a while.

"Why didn't you tell us you've never driven a stick shift!?" he growled to Red, after being thrown forward in the back seat yet again.

"I didn't think it would be this tricky!" the thief objected.

"The tricky thing is that you just turned onto a one way street and are going in the wrong direction," Slade pointed out calmly.

"Shit! How am I supposed to look at this knob-thing and at the street signs at the same time?!"

Luckily they managed to get off the street with just a bit of honking, and then Robin took over.

"Honestly, it's not that difficult to drive!" he snorted.

"Kitten, we're in the city and you're going almost twice the speed limit."

"Crap!" the hero hit the brakes. "What? I'm used to chasing bad guys on a bike! There's no speed limits then!"

"Actually, there is, it's just that heroes are criminals and ignore them," Slade smirked. "Of course forcing us, poor innocent villains, to go faster, just in order to escape."

"Yeah, it's all your fault, Red agreed.

"Oh, you just shut up," the hero muttered.

"Also, the red signal means 'stop' not 'make a daring move and go faster trying to cross the intersection in time'." Slade told him.

"I knew that!"

"Then maybe you should start paying attention to the red lights?"

"There were red lights?"

"I'm amazed I'm still alive…" the man muttered.

After that the two teens focused a bit more and eventually got more used to driving. Red X, once he figured out the gears, was actually a somewhat better driver than Robin, who had learned to drive at twelve but since then had only been on a bike. For some reason he was prone to think that he could drive between two cars like he was on two wheels, and had been very close to scratching Bruce's car a few times. Slade had to tell him to pretend the kids were in the backseat for him to focus completely, but then he got too careful instead.

"You can't break for pigeons, Robin. Anything smaller than a deer it's better to hit."

"That's cruel!"

"Well, you can end up killing both us and others to save a bunny, and that, dear boy, is _stupid_."

"Fine. Hit the pigeons."

"Well… you don't have to _try_, just don't hit the brakes."

"Got you."

"Ten points if you get one," Red X snickered from the back seat.

"Red…" Slade warned him.

"What? Think it should be five? I mean, they _fly_, that's a pretty hard target."

"I wonder if this car has an ejector seat…?" Robin muttered.

"I'm checking the dashboard right now," Slade told him. "No such luck."

At that moment Robin's phone rang. As the teen was driving he handed it over to Slade to answer and tried to figure out who the caller was and what he or she wanted by the man's short "I see." and "Yes, of course."

"Who was it?" he asked as the man hung up.

"Park over there," the man said, and pointed.

"But-"

"Park." Slade used his firm voice and the hero obeyed without any more questions. Once the car had stopped, the mercenary gave a new order. "Get out, we're switching seats."

Robin's nerves were now frazzled, his ears almost laying completely flat against his head, but he still obeyed. Once the man got into the driving seat, however, he couldn't control himself any longer.

"What's wrong, what happened?!"

"The kids have been crying for us for twenty minutes and they won't calm down, so Alfred thought we should be heading home."

"Why didn't you just _tell _me!?"

"Because downtown Gotham is a no flying zone. I didn't want you behind the wheel, trying to drive back as fast as you could."

"I'm more responsible than that! Now drive!"

"Red light."

"You can beat that truck! Get me home to my babies!"

* * *

"MA-MA! DA-DA! DAAAA!"

"I'm never going to leave you again! I'm so sorry!" Robin almost sobbed as he tried to hug all the kids at the same time.

"I apologize, Master Robin, it seems their stomachs still upsets them a bit and when they realized that none of you were around at all…"

"It's alright, we haven't really gotten them used to being separated from all of us," Slade said.

"And we never will… ever…" Robin mumbled, burying his face against his children, sniffing and licking them, going 'full cat'.

"They will have an awkward time in high school then, but okay…" Red chuckled. "Kitten, they are fine, you know that, right?"

"No. Come here, Slade too," Robin said and forced his mates to join him in the bundle on the floor so he could sniff and lick them too.

"Hey, I already washed this week," the redhead objected as he felt the rough tongue against his neck.

"Maybe being quiet would be a good idea now?" Slade muttered dryly as he pulled Alexandra, who had reached out for him, closer.

Robin closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of his family. While part of him hated when he went 'feral', another part loved it, because there was something special when you were just relying on your instincts. As a human he had them too, yes, but not like this. Right now, for example, all was well in the world. Everything. It was perfect. As a human, he might have worried about things outside this room, outside this exact moment, but as a cat, he didn't. He was living _now_, everything was well _now_, and that was all that mattered.

He purred, and his heart swelled when, one by one, his children began purring as well. The moment just got even more perfect.

He looked down at the little faces. Alexandra was curled up in Slade's arms, blinking slowly at them. Dominic was in Robin's lap, with his thumb in his mouth, and Red and Oliver were curled up against them, looking like two peas in a pod, really. They were all growing up so fast, however, and Robin knew the others were right; soon they would have to let them go… but he didn't want that. He wanted them to be babies forever, or at least _have_ babies forever… more babies. He wanted more children. He-

"Oh shit!" Robin snapped out of his feral state so suddenly that he even scared himself.

"What's wrong?" Slade asked.

"I want babies! I think I'm in heat!"

"Wait, what?" Red asked, worriedly. "But… you're nursing! You-"

"Let's fuck right here, right now," Slade said.

"Are you crazy?" Robin stared at his oldest mate.

"It was a test, you're not in heat," the man shrugged.

"But how-?"

"Last time you didn't care when or where or who was watching. You barely let us leave the bedroom for days. Trust me, you're not in heat. What made you think you were?"

"Well, I… thought that I might want to have more children one day…" Robin mumbled.

"We'll discuss that in two years," Slade told him.

"Two years? Why two years?" Red blinked and then groaned. "Oh, god, you have some sort of _plan, _don't you?"

"Don't I always?" the man smirked.

"Am I involved or have a say, or…?" Robin said dryly.

"Of course, but the children need us a lot now when they are this young. In two years you will have been able to go back to being a hero some more and then we can discuss if you are prepared to give that up to have another child. Or children. Remember that housecats like you are prone to have multiple births. If you got pregnant again too soon, before you got to try your wings again, you might end up resenting that. I want to make sure that you get what you want and need out of life, Robin."

The cat smiled, pulled the man's head down and kissed him.

"I love you," he breathed against Slade's lips.

The mercenary gave a short chuckle and kissed him back. Words weren't really necessary.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: *lol* My Beta thought the kittens were incredibly spoiled for their parents to rush back like that, but I based this on how you get kids used to kindergartens in Sweden: first the parents are with them there for a few days, then they get to leave them for just an hour or two, and eventually, they can leave them the whole day. Not having their parents around can be very tough on this kids, and even on the parents, especially for firstborns… once you get to kid number three or so, it's less of a big deal… ;) Add the ferocita instincts to this mix and things can get very emotional… like human babies can get very upset if they don't SEE their parents, imagine not being able to SMELL them either… ;)


	23. Monday, 23rd of December 2013

**A/N: **Yaay! Christmas tomorrow! Well, for us in Scandinavia at least. Some of your suckers have to wait for the 25th… pfft… looooooserrrrrssss…. *lol* gonna be an early update tomorrow as I'm heading to my brothers' for "Christmas Breakfast" a family tradition…

* * *

**Monday, 23rd of December 2013 **

"Is this perfect timing or what?" Robin smiled as he looked out through the dining room window the next morning. Outside, large snowflakes were falling, so heavily that he could barely see the gates at the end of the driveway. The children were in their walkers around them, Slade was reading the newspaper, although Bruce had the finance section and Red was lost in the funny pages.

"_You_ don't have to go to work in this," Bruce muttered into his coffee.

Selina wasn't around this morning, but a new red mark on the man's neck told Robin that she_ had_ been by… or maybe the man had hooked up with her in the city last night.

"Aw, don't be such a grump… this must be the last day before the holidays you have to go in, right?"

"Yes, and only for a few hours," the man said, looking somewhat happier. "Oh, and I was going to ask… would you mind if I invite Selina over for Christmas Day dinner?"

"No, of course not! You don't have to ask me," Robin answered firmly.

"I didn't want it to be awkward, and Christmas is a family time, after all…"

"Bruce, you usually throw Christmas parties all holiday long," Robin chuckled. "There never used to be much in the way of 'family dinners'."

"And I'm sorry about that," the man said gravely. "We'll change that from now on. Except…"

"The Wayne industries Christmas party…" Robin smiled. "I know… but you're not holding it here this year, are you? If you do, we'll have to hide in the Batcave or something…"

"No it's in an hotel this year, I told the board we're doing renovations," the billionaire said. "But that means I'll be gone all night tomorrow… Alfred will cook you a great Christmas Eve dinner, but I'm sorry that-"

"Hey, your life doesn't stop just because we are visiting," Robin shrugged. "The party is a tradition too, and I know you've spent more time here at home than you would have otherwise, because of us… that counts for a lot!"

"I have no idea how you turned out as well as you did, but you definitely pulled through somehow," Bruce grinned and ruffled Robin's hair.

The teen heard the sound of hands tightening around paper and rolled his eyes at Slade. The man was so damn sensitive sometimes.

"Gaba! Gaba!"

"Alexandra?" Bruce looked down questioningly at the girl who had kicked herself all the way to his chair in her walker and was now making grabby hands at him.

"Is she saying 'grandpa'?" Robin blinked. "When did she learn to- Red?" he said as he heard the thief snicker.

"What? He's their grandfather, isn't he?" the other young man said innocently.

"GABA!"

"I think she wants you to pick her up," Robin told his guardian.

"But−? I− Fine." Bruce lifted the girl up, just a bit awkwardly , and plopped her down on his knee. "There. Happy?" he asked her.

"Aaa!" the very young woman seemed to confirm.

"Sooo… how about the stock market?" Bruce said, as he had no idea what else to bring up.

"Baba… da?"

"Yes, I thought so too. Maybe we should just sit tight, then?"

"Es!"

"Are you enjoying your stay so far, then?"

"Mama, Papa, Dada, Gaba, Alal!"

"Yes, that's all of us… you really are a smart little thing, aren't you?" Bruce smiled.

"Moo!"

"Moo?"

"Um… I think that's their name for… um… Selina…" Robin mumbled, while his mates were in different states of losing it.

"What? But why…?"

"Because she has big… um…" the teen hero made a gesture to his chest.

"Oh."

"Well, they aren't around women that much! Just Starfire and Raven now and then, so…"

"They were impressed," Red snickered.

"I'm glad," Bruce muttered.

"You should be," Slade smirked.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Robin asked him pointedly.

"Nothing, dear," the man grinned.

"Someone is in trouuuubleeee!" Red sang.

"And someone _else _is getting late for work. I'm sorry, but you have to go to your mommy," Bruce said and handed Alexandra over. "Bye, I'll probably be home for lunch."

"Bye-bye!" Alexandra grinned and waved.

"She's a little charmer, isn't she?" the billionaire chuckled.

"Yeah, she likes big guys," Red shrugged.

"Excuse me?" Bruce blinked.

"Ignore him," Robin muttered.

"Yes, please do," Slade agreed. "Because he's not going to be here when you get home."

"Oh-oh," the thief mumbled.

"Yeah, I should run," Robin grinned.

"I'm getting out of here in the nick of time it seems," Bruce sighed and left.

While Robin got Alexandra back in her walker, Red tried to get back on Slade's good side.

"I was only joking, you know!" he begged, as the man looked thunderous. "Our daughter is not a… is not like that! At all! She's a baby! She might grow up liking short skinny guys-"

"Red, you're not making it any better," Robin told him. "Hey? Where's Oliver? Dominic is over in the corner, but I can't see Ollie?"

That gave the others something else to think about for a while, and they soon found Oliver in the kitchen with Alfred, who had eaten breakfast early and was now busy doing inventory for the holiday meals.

"We need more sugar and flour," the old man said as Slade and Red came into the kitchen.

"Fowel!" Oliver tried to mimic.

"Yes, exactly. At least two bags, I'd say, to be sure."

"Ure!"

"I'm sorry, he must have snuck away from us," Red smiled apologetically.

"Master Oliver is no trouble at all, we're havening quite a nice time," the butler assured him.

"Still, you're not our babysitter and you're busy and stuff…" the redhead scratched his neck. "Um, I'd… well, thank you for everything… you'd let us know if we can do anything for you, right?"

"I can manage quite well, thank you."

"Yeah, it's just that… well.. I'm not really used to someone… umm… taking care of me, you know…" the thief still seemed a bit lost.

"What Red is trying to say," Slade cut in, "is that we really appreciate everything you do for us, and I second his offer: if there is anything you need done…?"

"Well, there is _one_ thing…" the old man admitted.

* * *

"Aaaand it's shoveling snow he needs help with…." Red muttered to himself a few hours later. The snowing had stopped, leaving a couple of inches the white stuff behind. Robin had dressed the kittens in their thickest, most water resistant clothes, because this was the first time they saw snow and he wanted them to experience it. Red and Slade was experiencing it in another way.

"Stop complaining, you'd really want the old man to cook us dinner and clear the driveway too?" Slade snorted.

"Wait, we need to clear the whole driveway?" the thief gasped.

"There's a snow blower attachment that fits onto a John Deere riding mower in the garage, Alfred told me."

"Cool! Dibs on that!"

"Can't you guys just start clearing the steps and such by hand while I'm out were with the kids?" Robin asked. "I don't want them to get frightened by the noise. Or run over."

"Alright," Slade nodded and got to work. A grunting Red joined in.

"No, stop, don't eat it!" Robin dived for Oliver, who was happily stuffing his face with snow.

"Ikeam?"

"No, it's not ice-cream, it's snow, and it's not for eating, sweetie... Look, you can… um…" the kids were really too small to be able to do much of anything, but seemed happy enough to just flatten the stuff with their hands. Robin made snow balls and threw them for their entertainment, some, accidentally, hitting Slade and Red. Then he built a small snow-cat, no taller than the kids were.

Robin glanced up after a while. He watched Slade and Red working and found himself checking them out. There was just something… sexy… about the two men right now. He rather wished he was in a position to interrupt them for a while, but he couldn't let his urges take over_ all_ the time.

He spotted something moving in the corner of his eye and laughed.

"Look at Alexandra, she's a little snowplow!" he snickered, and yes, the girl was crawling as fast as she could, leaving a long track behind her. The snow was deep, though, so she almost disappeared in it and Robin fetched her back, feeling her cheeks.

"I think we should head back in, before these guys get cold," he said. "Could I get some carrying help?"

Once inside Alfred had some hot coco ready for Robin and a spot of warm formula for the babies. After that they all needed a change and then the teen settled down to read to the children in front of a well guarded fire while it slowly grew darker outside.

Slade and Red joined them after a few hours, and the cold had made even Slade's cheeks rosy, something Robin couldn't stop grinning at. He didn't say anything, though, until the man forced him to explain what was so funny.

"It just looks cute!" he defended himself when the mercenary snorted at him.

"Gives you some Santa qualities," Red nodded.

"Naughty or nice, you can sit on my lap any time," the man smirked. "I have quite the package for you."

"And a sack full of goodies," Robin filled in with a similar smirk.

"And in front of our children too!" Red gasped in a faked shock.

"Speaking of our children… it's bath time," Robin sighed. Bathing the triplets, even if they were in a good mood at the time, was a hassle which left the adults soaked as well. "I'm just going to get in the tub with them."

"I'll help you and Slade can assist from the side lines," the other teen offered.

"Works for me, but let's feed them first or they are just going to get sticky again," the mercenary shrugged.

"Honestly, I wonder how they manage to_ get_ that sticky sometimes… I mean, do babies produce some kind of glue or what?" Red wanted to know.

"It might be the way they drool and generally put everything in their mouth…?" Robin said. "But yeah, I thought it would be like the diaper commercial with feathers and smiling faces dry bottoms… not them being covered in snot, drool, pee, crap and god knows what at least twenty two hours of the day…"

"A bit late for a reality check, isn't it?" his oldest mate said dryly.

"Yeah… next time I want more of these little stinkers… kick me." Robin muttered.

Robin and Red ended up having fun in the bathtub, though. Innocent fun, playing with the kids, who were all in a great mood, even when Robin happened to get water in Alexandra's ear. It _was_ very hard to avoid while washing their hair, but he didn't like the feeling himself so he thought her objections were justified.

Once they were done, Slade took them, one after the other, dried them off and put them on towels on the floor, until it was only Oliver left.

"Oh, no," Red, who was holding the baby, suddenly said and grimaced.

"What?"

"The water just got suspiciously warmer. Is he…?" the thief said and lifted the boy from the water.

"Yup." Robin sighed.

"Oliver! Gross! No peeing in the bath!" Red told the boy, while Robin started to empty the tub out.

"Could be worse. Remember when Dominic-"

"Yes! Yes I remember, please don't remind me! I've never been so close to actually throwing up _on _the babies." The other teen looked a bit green.

Oliver got another scrub down and was then handed over to Slade while the teens washed themselves.

"Baby pee is probably great for the skin or something," Robin snickered.

"I'm just so glad you guys aren't into that kind of stuff," Red said. "I mean, I love you, I really do, but I'd be out the door so fast."

"Ah… must remember to cancel the golden shower and scat fest I had planned for New Years," Slade said dryly, Making Robin burst out laughing, until he noticed something.

"Hey… Where's Alexandra?"

They found her down the hall, and after getting them into diapers and pajamas it didn't take long to make them fall asleep. The parents smiled at their snoozing brood and quietly left the room, looking forward to having the evening free… unfortunately, both Robin and Red nodded off within half an hour and, after an hour at the gym, Slade joined them for an early evening as well, quietly hoping he wouldn't have to shovel more snow tomorrow.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: snow and pee and… what was this chapter about again?


	24. Tuesday, 24th of December 2013

**A/N: Warnings! Dark themes in this, when past events are brought up. **I don't think it will be too horrible for anyone to read, though, just a little less of "feel good" feelings for a while.

Also, there's a reference in this story to the drabble "Angelic Lust", the third drabble in "Christmas Drabbles 2010". You don't have to read that before reading this chapter, though. The reference is about Robin and the Christmas tree… ;)

* * *

**Tuesday, 24th of December 2013 **

The next morning Alfred could object as much as he liked; Robin was still going to help him with the Christmas decorations, especially the tree.

"Your eyes are glittering like you're in a Coca Cola commercial," Red snickered at him when he was unpacking some ornaments.

"I just love this! Look, I made this in school!" Robin said and held up something made of green and red paper.

"Um… stick to crime fighting," the thief said.

"Actually, I think I will. Al, why did you even save this?" the teen asked.

"Because you made it, Master Robin," the butler smiled, took it from the young man's hands and hung it on the tree.

"In a few years, when these three gets started, you'll need to buy more trees, then," Red chuckled.

"I'm sure we have the room," the old man just answered, completely unfazed. Robin had a feeling they very well could end up with one tree for each kid.

"We'll make sure to… edit out a few things…" he promised.

"Oh, of course. One has to. Frankly, some of the things you came home with were quite horrid," the man deadpanned.

"Where do you want these?" Slade asked, as he came in to the room with his arms full of boxes. Bruce followed close by with a equal load.

"Those should be the garlands for the main staircase, so the hallway, please," the man said.

"Alfred, we're not having the Christmas party here this year, we don't need _everything_," Bruce told him.

"Just a few more boxes, Sir, if you wouldn't mind?"

The billionaire sighed and shared a look with Robin before he shrugged and nodded. You just didn't argue with Alfred, especially not when it came to Christmas.

"Oh, Slade, bring down our presents too, and put them under the tree, will you?" Robin called after the men.

The kids were on their play mat, out of their walkers for once. Robin thought that they were getting lazy, cruising around in them, and they needed to get some crawling done. What neither of them had expected, however, was that since the children had found out how much fun it_ was_ to get around, they all suddenly got _really_ good at crawling… and they were quick too. With the three of them setting off in different directions at once, it was quite frustrating.

"I found Dominic, he was under this empty box!" Red called during one of the search parties.

"Of course he was, how the heck did he mange that?" Robin groaned and then cursed as he heard the sound of the Christmas tree toppling over. He ran there with his heart in his throat, only to find Slade lifting a angry looking Alexandra from the wreckage.

"It almost looked like she wanted to climb it," the man said, just sounding awed.

"Heh, Robin, remember when you-?"

"No, I don't!" the teen growled. It had happened when he was still having some very 'feral' episodes, and he didn't care to remember making a complete fool out of himself. Though he still had those feathered angles somewhere, hidden away… they just smelled so good. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked around. "That's two accounted for, where's Oliver?"

"Ollie? Oliver?" Red called.

"Dada!" was heard from the hall and then there was the sound of scuttling, disappearing in the distance.

"I'm coming to get you, you little runaway!" Red yelled and set off after him.

"Among all the things in the attic, do you think there's a cage too?" Slade muttered.

"I swear I just saw Oliver crawling down the hall," Bruce said as he came into the room.

"You probably did," Robin sighed and looked the man up and down. "You're leaving for the Christmas party?"

"I am."

"Is Selina coming?"

"No, we're being… careful."

"Glad to hear it," Slade smirked.

"Ew," Robin groaned.

Bruce gave him a 'you're the one to talk' look and continued. "She might meet me afterwards, so… she might be here in the morning. Just a warning."

"That's fine, although we don't have a present for her," Robin said.

"She's not expecting one. Have a good night now, and again, I'm sorry I have to-"

"Go. Be bored. We'll have a much better time here, enjoying an amazing dinner and everything…" Robin grinned, "You'll be eating dry, icky finger food and talk to horribly shallow people… I pity you."

"I'm starting to pity myself," the man muttered. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, then," the man finished and walked out with heavier steps than when he had walked in.

* * *

They took the kids for a drive a little later, just to get out of Alfred's hair and give him some peace and quiet before he had to start dinner. They had lunch out and Red and Robin each got a chance to drive again, and with the kids in the car there was no mucking about. Even though they took the van they managed just fine, to the point where Slade told them that they just might get to help him drive home to Jump again after New Years.

"Will you give us our licenses until then, then?" Red, who was behind the wheel at the moment, asked eagerly.

"All in due time," the man told him. "And the turn signal is on, by the way."

* * *

Quite late that night the three parents once again found themselves in the nursery, just checking on the kids.

"I feel a bit guilty that we put them to bed before the dinner…" Red said.

"They are too small to understand anyway, and to keep them up and disturb their routine just to make them sit at a table…" Robin shrugged. "It didn't seem worth it."

"It was nice to be able to enjoy it peacefully, just the three of us and Alfred," Slade agreed. "It was a splendid meal. Besides, the kittens got a very nice dinner too, before bed. And ice cream."

"Yeah, I know…" Red sighed. "I just want them to… have everything, you know?"

"They will have a lot of Christmas Eve dinners, don't you worry about that," Robin grinned, nuzzling into the young man's side. "We'll give them as many good memories as we can."

"Yeah… we better." Red was quiet for a while and then added, "Guys? Can we go talk?"

"Of course!" Robin gave Slade a worried glance and didn't leave Red's side until they were back in their room.

"What's on your mind" Slade asked, and he must have been worried too, because he used a voice which was almost as soft as when he was talking to the children.

"Well… I… I was seven…" the thief said and sand down on the bed.

"Seven? "What happened then?" Robin prodded when there had been a long pause. He had sat down next to his young mate, close enough so their bodies were touching as much as possible.

"I was seven when… when I was raped the first time."

Robin felt like his heart just stopped with a pang of pain. He knew Red didn't want to talk about his past, even acknowledge it at all, but he wasn't prepared for it being quite _this _bad.

"God, I'm… I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

"Who?" Slade growled. It was clear that that person, if still alive, wouldn't be so for much longer.

"I can't even remember. I just remember that he smelled of liquorice and that… that he left me some… afterwards." Red drew a deep breath and then chuckled dryly. "I'd better tell the whole story now, huh?"

"Only if you're up for it," the hero said softly and took the other teen's hand in his. He saw that Slade, who was still standing, placed a hand –more or less just his fingertips− on the redhead's neck, imitating the gesture he used to calm Robin. The black haired teen doubted that the man really had needed to comfort Red before, at least not to this extent.

"I think I better… it will probably help, right? Isn't that was all the shrinks say? It helps to talk?"

"I think they also tend to ask about your parents, so… where were they?" Slade asked.

"Never knew my dad, and I doubt mom know who he was either. Mom, you see, was a whore. And I don't mean that she had a lot of boyfriends or married for money or something, she was _literally_ a whore. With a drug problem. Kinda goes hand-in-hand that you usually don't become one unless you need money for something, right? So, yeah… she was out most nights, but that was okay… sometimes a neighbor watched me, an old lady, but I think she died or something and by then mom thought I was old enough to be left home alone… and I felt safer by myself, so I didn't make a fuss… sometimes she would bring her work home, though, and then one night a customer of hers spots me and… well, he decided that he'd rather have me than mom."

"And… and she couldn't stop him?" Robin asked, his voice shaking.

"Stop him? They haggled over the price!" the redhead snarled bitterly. "I had no idea what was going on, I mean, I didn't know what my mother _did_ back then, I didn't know anything about that kind of stuff… so then the guy grabs me and drags me into mom's bedroom and – It's all black from there… I remember being scared and I remember being in pain, but that's pretty much it… apart from the liquorice…"

Robin snuggled into the redhead's arms now, full out hugging him as hard as he could.

Slade made a frustrated sound. "You can't remember anything else? Height? Eye color? A nickname? Is your mother alive? Would she know? Were there others? If we try to track down her clients, we could-"

"Slade no," Red held up a hand. "I have no idea if she's alive, and it didn't even happen in Jump… I grew up in Phoenix, came to Jump when I was twelve. Alone. I left it behind me; you can't 'fix' it… I don't even want to try."

"It's okay…" Robin said. "It really is… just telling us is more than enough, at least for now… and if you ever need help bringing these people to justice-"

"Or splatter their gray matter over the nearest wall-" Slade cut in.

"Or that," Robin nodded approvingly. He might believe in justice, but his claws wanted to bury themselves deep into these people's guts. It didn't mean that he would actually _do_ it, but he really,_ really_ wanted to. "Then just let us know, alright?"

"Will do… but no, it wasn't just once… mom had just found an extra income, right? And she could charge double for me… so after a week or so, it happened again, and after that… more or less every night. I ran away, but mom had connections and they caught me… I…" Red stopped again and shook his head, breathing deeply. Robin could feel the other teen's pulse quicken, as if he was starting to panic. "She… She locked me up. I was chained to the bed most of the time, for… for almost a year."

"Didn't anyone miss you? School? Social services? Anyone?"

"I think she told the school that I had moved away to my 'father' out of state or something…" Red said. "Social services were never involved, mother was very good at keeping up a good front… no one went to the effort to investigate, I guess… or maybe she got one of her clients to 'fix' it somehow."

"But you escaped?" Slade asked.

"Yeah… a customer wanted me at his place for a few days and I got away. I played all obedient, so he trusted me… I stole his wallet on the way out. He had quite a bit of cash so I was able to buy a bus ticket for as far away as the line would go, and I ended up in San Francisco, I think, in the end… Things are a little blurry from back then."

"How did you even survive?" Robin wanted to know.

"I did what I was trained to do," the redhead said dryly.

"Oh, Red…"

"Only when I really had to, though. I stole a lot too; I got some mad skills there, if you hadn't noticed…" the teen smiled wryly. "I was young and looked innocent enough, I got away with things you wouldn't _believe_… Sometimes I had a 'sugar daddy', though, a man I lived with, who fed me and clothed me for sex… it sounds nice, maybe, but some of them were pretty rough. I was used to it, though. Men, to me, were big, strong, mean bastards… I think that's what attracted me to Slade."

"W-what?" Robin gasped and he thought he saw the man in question flinch.

"Yeah… I mean, I know it's fucked up, but he was pretty rough on me, and somehow I just… was drawn in by that…"

"I never knew you had been-!" Slade growled.

"I know, I know! Don't worry about it, I-"

"Don't worry about it? I treated you like a fuck toy… if _that_!" the man snarled. "I used to taunt you because you came back for more!"

"That was just who I was…" Red shrugged. "Notice the 'was' there? I'd never accept any of that crap now, trust me… hell, in the beginning I didn't even think Robin was really hot."

"Um… okay?" the hero blinked. "I'm… not sure I follow?"

"I thought you were cute, sure, but when we got you home in that cage… frankly, I was mostly jealous, thinking you would take Slade away from me, but then you fucked me, remember? Like an animal –pun intended – and−"

"Oh… I… I…" The former Titan pressed a hand over his mouth, looking slightly green. "I practically… I practically raped you…"

"Well… Slade _helped_… remember I joked about it?" the thief grinned and then noticed the expression on his lover's faces. "Hey! Stop that! Stop looking all guilty and crap, okay? You didn't know! It's not your fault! I know I shouldn't have told you-"

"You should. Telling us was the right thing to do," Slade told him firmly. "This just brings everything into a new light for us."

"And that's exactly what I didn't want! I want things to be back to normal… please?" the older teen begged.

"… I've been so selfish…" Robin mumbled.

"Huh?" Red looked down at the cat boy who had buried his head against the redhead's chest.

"I was so wrapped up in how I changed, feeling sorry for myself… I got two great mates and three wonderful children, I have nothing to complain about! But you… you went through so much, I…"

"Hey, you know what, kitten? I got two great mates and three wonderful children too, you know," Red smiled.

"Yes, but that can't make up for-"

"Oh yes, it can. And then some. If it couldn't, I wouldn't even be here right now, would I?"

"I understand that you wanted to leave your past behind… including your name," Slade said.

"Yeah, and I'm keeping my old name to myself. I haven't used it since the night I ran away… _she_ gave it to me, I want nothing to do with it."

"So… when did you come up with the name 'Red' then?" Robin asked.

"I didn't. You did."

"You… you didn't start calling yourself Red until after you stole the suit?" Robin blinked.

"Of course not… would have been a bit much of a coincidence, wouldn't it?" the thief chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess…" Robin felt a bit silly. "What did you call yourself before then?"

"Anything… I made up a lot of different names." Red shrugged.

"So how come 'Red X' stuck?" the mercenary wanted to know.

"Weeeell… I liked the mask… I'd never had a mask before. It made me feel… safe, actually. You had already named the character, and I felt that it… fit. I mean, I didn't wanna be 'skull boy'…"

"Oh, god no…" Robin chuckled for a moment, and then sighed, hugging his lover again. "How did you know about Red X, though?"

"Pft… I learned to use my eyes and ears long ago, without being seen. I already had a bit of an… interest… in Slade, though I had never met him back then, but I kinda paid attention when something went down that included him… and he seemed to like Red X so I decided to _be_ Red X."

"I can't believe Slade had a groupie," Robin muttered and shook his head.

"What's so hard to believe about that?" the man in question snorted.

"I'm still your groupie," Red grinned up at the man and got a smile in return. "So… we're all good now? Back to normal?"

"I think we need some time to take all this in," Robin said seriously.

"Yes, and we should talk more about it when we have," Slade decided. "I know you might not _want_ to," he added when he saw Red's expression, "but we will."

"Why do I get a feeling that I'm in trouble?" the thief muttered. "It's not fair."

That night Red slept in the middle, tightly held by two pairs of arms.

_To be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: There. That wasn't too bad, was it? But it might explain why Red hasn't been willing to talk about his past before now… ;) There will be more Red-comforting tomorrow… Slade will be cute. ;)


	25. Wednesday, 25th of December 2013

**A/N: **Bruce and Slade are being cute in different ways. And presents!

* * *

**Wednesday, 25th of December 2013**

"Merry Christmas, kitten," Red whispered, waking Robin up the next morning. The redhead gave him a kiss, which made the sleepiness disperse a bit more.

"Mmm… thank you, but we forgot to brush our teeth before bed last night…" Robin scrunched his nose a little as he sat up.

"Oh, thank _you_, and here I was trying to be romantic," the other teen snorted.

"I'm sorry, but my mouth tastes like tuna and yours tasted a bit of cabbage," Robin shrugged. "I can't even remember when either of us had any of that last."

"Why are we awake this early?" Slade demanded to know from his pillow. "Did you hear the kids?"

"No, but it's Christmas morning!" Red said and reached his hand out to the man.

"What's this?" the mercenary asked, eying the digit.

"Apparently I have morning breath, so I'm giving you an hearty handshake instead of a kiss," the teen snickered. The man grabbed his hand and pulled the teen down, wrapping an arm around him.

"We're not getting up for another hour. Robin, come back here."

"… like I'm a dog…" the hero snorted, but grinned and climbed into the pile of arms and legs himself.

"Yaay… comfy…" Red croaked from somewhere beneath him.

They didn't go back to sleep, instead they spoke softly of this and that, just laying together, enjoying each other's company without any sexual overtones. Robin was purring blissfully when he heard a sound from the baby monitor.

"Was that Oliver?" he asked, but then someone on the other side spoke.

"I don't think Oliver has gained a baritone voice over night," Slade snorted.

"Who's grandpa's big boy?" they heard through the intercom.

"Bruce?" Robin blinked.

"Is he drunk?" Slade commented.

"No, he_ can't_ be… he must have just forgotten about the monitor…" Robin said, as the conversation in the room across the hallway continued.

"Or how sensitive it is; he's practically whispering," Red said.

"Who is excited about Christmas, then? Wanna get some presents? You're such a good boy, aren't you? Oh, look at your little nose!"

Robin burst out laughing at that, and his mates joined in.

"This is amazing blackmailing material…" Slade almost drooled.

"No, no, you can't let on that you heard this, neither of you," the hero made them promise. "I don't want him to feel ridiculed, I don't want him to have his shields up around the kids, okay?"

"Dammit. Fine. Maybe when they are older?" Slade sounded like it physically pained him to have to keep this to himself.

"Maybe. Red?"

"Sure, I promise. Besides, I think I once overheard Slade sing a song about toes to Alexandra."

"You did not."

"No, no, I'm sure you recited the prizes of ammunition to her or something," Red grinned.

"MAMA!"

"And that was Oliver. We better go," Robin sighed and was the first one on his feet.

"We'll be right there," Slade nodded, and the hero disappeared out the door.

"Red?" Slade said, stopping the other teen from following.

"Yes?"

"About last night…" the man came forward and placed a hand on the thief's shoulder. "If you need anyone dead, ever, just say the word."

"Heh, thanks, but I'm not even sure they are still around."

"Then I'll dig them up and kill them again."

"I don't think they will feel it," the teen grinned.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Slade's smirk was ice cold. "I'll _make _it hurt."

Red looked into the man's eye for a moment and blushed, suddenly feeling like he was standing in front of his biggest crush and didn't quite know what to do. In the end he stood up on tip toe and gave the man a quick kiss on the lips before turning around and heading toward the door.

"Huh…" he heard Slade say. "When did you have cabbage?"

* * *

"Aw, guys, they are adorable!" Robin cooed as he helped his children open yet another present, this one containing little socks with super hero logos. They had_ told_ Bruce and Alfred to not go overboard, especially as the kids were so young, but the men had not listened at all. The three babies, sitting on the floor, could hardly be seen for all the wrapping paper. They were all clutching new toys, although Oliver was holding on to both his white cat and the new teddy bear.

In the middle of it all Robin's phone rang.

"Oh, hi Leslie, Merry Christmas! Oh, you liked them? Great you're welcome! Yes, Bruce and Al are about to open theirs. I hope you'll come to dinner again before we leave? Without syringes this time? Great, can't wait! Bye!" The teen hung up and beamed. "She liked them!"

"Of course she did," Slade snorted.

"What did she like?" Bruce asked. Selina was sitting next to him on the sofa, looking amused at the whole thing.

"Open your gift and you'll see," Robin grinned.

"Well, isn't that precious?" Catwoman chuckled as the little hand and foot prints were unwrapped. "Look at this. " She grabbed Bruce's hand and held it out next to Dominic's hand-print. "Can you believe they will grow this big?"

"Bigger," Slade stated. "He's my son, he won't have Batman's dainty little hands."

Robin almost spray painted the room with hot chocolate at the look on Bruce's face and Red was laughing so hard that he was about to fall backwards.

"You… you guys can compare sizes later, okay?" Robin snickered.

"Can we be the judges?" Red wanted to know.

"Yes, can we?" Selina asked as well.

"Maybe the children should open the rest of their presents now?" Alfred said with a pained voice. It was clear Bruce didn't pay him enough for this.

"Sorry, Al," Robin mumbled and glanced as Slade, who was really to blame for starting it. The man managed to look almost completely innocent, though, so there would be no confession or apology from him.

"Here we go, these are the last ones," Bruce said and hauled out three huge presents from behind the couch.

"It better be, we're won't be able to fit in the car on the way home…" Red said.

"Let's help you open them," Bruce continued and he, Selina and Alfred ripped the paper off.

"IGER!" Oliver exclaimed, and yes, three large toy tigers laid before them.

Alexandra made a very happy little sound and crawled over to the one closest to her and hugged the head which was about he same size as she was.

"Alright, now we know what they would have done at the zoo if it wasn't for the glass," Slade said dryly, apparently not happy about his daughter's lack of survival instinct.

"Well, Master Robin told us about that trip, and then Master Wayne spotted these in the store…" Alfred explained.

"They are beautif-" Robin began, but a sudden gesture from Slade stopped him.

"Shh!" the man hissed and nodded towards Dominic. "Look!"

The boy had been staring at the tigers and, to be able to see better, he had grabbed the coffee table and actually managed to pull himself up.

"He's… he's standing!" Robin whispered.

At that moment the gray-eyed boy decided he wanted to hug a tiger as well, and took a step towards the toys. Well. Half a step, because he was nowhere near strong and coordinated enough yet to walk, and he would have crashed to the floor if Slade and Bruce hadn't thrown themselves forward and caught him. The men almost knocked their heads together, but at least Dominic didn't need another trip to the hospital.

The only one who didn't seem completely overwhelmed was Oliver. He had crawled forward as well, and was now sitting next to his tiger. His arms was still around the white cat, however, but in the end his curiosity got the better of him, and he poked the giant cat in the eye.

"Our children have a few things to learn, I think," Red grinned.

"Iger!" Oliver said again, like he was confirming his first observation. "Mine," he nodded, but hugged his toy cat as if he was afraid it would get jealous.

"Open the rest of your presents!" Robin told Bruce and Alfred.

"These first, for you," Slade said and handed the teens an envelope each.

"Please let it be money, please let it be money," Red changed as he opened it. "Oh, darn, it's a plastic- it's my driving license!"

"Thank you!" Robin grinned. "But we didn't do the driving test?"

"I counted yesterday as that, but you only get them on probation for now, so no more breaking the law!" The man blinked when he heard his own words. "I can't believe I just said that."

"Heh, I can't believe I agree," Red grinned.

"There might be a couple of upstanding, law-abiding citizens in both of you," Bruce smirked.

"There's only a law abiding citizen inside me when Robin tops," Red deadpanned.

"Open your presents!" the teen in question coughed.

The men opened the photos, and there were more 'aws' and 'ohs', especially when Robin pointed out the one showing Alexandra crawling for the first time ever.

The time after opening presents and until Christmas dinner was usually a kind of strange time for Robin. As a child he had felt like Christmas was over, but he still looked forward to the turkey. Now, with the kids, it was different, however, because after a bit of a snow ball match using scrunched up wrapping paper, they tidied up and then played with the triplets and their new toys. Of course the children's routine of feedings and diaper changes were still there, but as they had dinner at two the kids could sit with them at the table and eat too.

"Turkey puree, what did you do to deserve that, Ollie?" Red asked his son, who was actually eating happily.

"Boom boom!"

"Ah, yeah, there is that…" Red sighed. "I'll take him," he added and lifted the baby out of his raised seat to go change him.

"This is nice," Selina said, gesturing to the table and the people around it in general. "I thought I'd be a bit bored, but this is nice."

"Bored?" Slade arched an eyebrow. "What kind of company are _you _used to at dinner?"

"No offence, but parents, especially those who have young kids… not the most exciting people in the world," Selina snickered. "Not if you don't have kids yourself."

"We're a hero, a mercenary and a thief," Robin snorted. "Sounds plenty exciting to me."

"You're two daddies and a mommy," Catwoman retorted. "Face it."

Robin and Slade looked at each other and then down on Alexandra and Dominic, and shrugged.

"Fine with me," Slade said.

"'Aint even mad," Robin agreed.

"You're just a lost cause," the woman sighed.

* * *

When they had put the kids to bed that night, Robin frowned thoughtfully as he folded one of Alexandra's sweaters.

"You think she's right? That we're really just parents now?" he asked the other two.

"Who? What?" Red asked and got filled in on the situation. "No way!" he then answered. "We'll never be 'just parents' we'll stay hip and cool and happening, trust me."

"I think you just lost half of your 'cool points' right there," Robin snickered.

"Just because your priorities change, doesn't mean that _you_ change," Slade stated.

"That's right," Red shrugged. "Just because I used to live more outside the law than in it, doesn't mean that I'm not still me, even though _present day _me wants his children to grow up safe and be smart about their choices."

Robin grinned and hugged him. "Can you imagine them grown up? I can sorta picture them starting school, but when I try to see them as teens… it's just blank."

"I don't even want to_ think_ about them being our age," Red shuddered. "And we being… _old_!"

"You'll be in your thirties," Slade, who thought thirty-year olds were barely dry behind the ears yet, snorted.

"Well… we're young _now_, and I know how to prove it?" Robin grinned.

"Wild, hot Christmas sex?" Red leered.

"Exactly!"

"If sex makes you feel young," Slade chuckled, "I'd happily make sure you stay teens forever."

_The End_

* * *

**A/N: **This is the end! Well… kinda… because tomorrow the future part starts and we'll jump 17 years into the future and sees what happens. You don't have to read that story if you don't want to, though, you can stop here, because the story features the kittens more that the parents… so OC-fest… ;)

Also, each chapter is 10 pages long, at least! So over 60 pages before the whole thing ends on New Years, so it might be a bit much for some of you… But don't worry, you can always read it later…

I hope you have enjoyed this story even though, as I said at the beginning, it didn't have a whole lot of PLOT, more day-to-day events…


	26. Happy New Life, part 1

A/N: Welcome to the future! Seventeen years has passed since we left the family yesterday (that escalated quickly) and THIS is the "future fic" as I call it. It doesn't have to be read as it's "freestanding" (sort of) from the story you just finished yesterday… also, as it follows the kids, Oliver and later Dominic especially, it IS, after all, an OC story… As you know, I don't feel OC's belong in main roles in a story because they will turn into Mary Sues, and I can't promise you the triplets haven't, simply because no one ever realizes their own character is a Mary Sue… if we did, there would be less of them, after all… ;)

This story will go on, every day, until New Years Eve, but… each chapter is AT LEAST 10 pages long! 64 pages in total! So it's gonna take some effort if you're gonna get through this every day… I hope you make it and that you think it's worth it, but if it's too much you can always pick it up again in April or something… I am aware that two or three of you have lives.

**Warning**: in this story I disrespectfully mess with the timeline of Teen Titans members (like age/when they joined the team). Only yell at me if you absolutely must. ;)

Also, remember that it's set in the FUTURE, meaning not everything (like gadgets and politics and such) will be as it is today. I didn't bother trying to think up a lot of futuristic stuff, so mostly you won't notice that it's 2030, so that's why I'm warning you that you might go "but that's not how it works!" in a chapter or two… ;) But it is… because I'm a prophet and I know these things… ;)

Also, this story doesn't follow the day-by-day timeline the previous one did.

* * *

**Happy New Life, part 1**

**Shopping for Something Special**

Oliver sighed and swung his rucksack fully onto his shoulders as he navigated through the crowd. It was December and, as usual, the whole family was at the Ferocitas show outside New York. Well, his younger siblings had stayed behind in Gotham where they had landed two days ago. Apparently they used to take the trip by car back in the day, and he had to say that he was glad he didn't remember any of that. The Wilsons at the airport were bad enough.

The seventeen year old sighed again. He was in a bit of a bad mood. He usually wasn't; he was a pretty happy-go-lucky type of person, but he guessed he was just tired. He _loved _hanging out with people, but sometimes it got be a bit much, especially lately. Right now he only wanted to curl up with his siblings and parents at home, with only familiar scents and sounds for a while. He had just hung out with Uncle Bill and Aunt Nina, or rather with their twin boys Tommy and Johnny, and maybe the boisterousness of dogs had taken a bit too much out of him. He had excused himself to go Christmas shopping at the market instead, and think about his life… which had made him more grumpy.

Not that he had anything to _really_ complain about, mind you. His family was probably the happiest in the whole damn world, but something was definitely missing. Something his brother and sister already had: mates. Dominic was dating a guy _and_ a girl, which was just unfair, and Alexandra had – to her father's despair− hooked up with one of the new Teen Titans. Their mom was as happy as he could be about that, of course, but Oliver was just a tad jealous. Superboy was hooooot! Unfortunately he was also straight… and belonged to his sister. He wouldn't want to fight her for _anything_, much less something that really mattered to her, because she, and this hurt to admit, could probably take him.

That was also something that was unfair; both his siblings had inherited their father's stature, Dominic being almost as tall as Slade and Alexandra was at least taller than Robin and Red. Oliver was only _almost_ as tall as his mother, and he had stopped listening to vague promises about 'growth spurts' by now. Sure, it might still happen, but with his luck he'd be an imp forever. At least he was quick and what he hadn't gotten in height he had gained in agility; he could easily out-climb his siblings, which had been a good ability to have when he had teased or pranked them too much when they were younger.

At least the twins, thirteen year old Taylor and Braden, had a bit of growing to do before they could tower over him. He nursed a small hope though, since both the boys were his full siblings, that they wouldn't actually outgrow him.

Then there was little Teagan, and she was only four and the last of his parent's brood. Oliver doubted that there would be more, because she had had a twin sister, Angel, who had been stillborn. His parents, and the rest of them too, were devastated and the little girl's ashes were still in a very pretty tiny urn in a cabinet in their living room. Robin wanted his family to stay together, no matter what. Teagan was Slade's, and Oliver assumed that Angel had been his too, although he wasn't sure if his mother had even told his mates if that was true.

Alexandra was delighted to finally have a sister, though, and Oliver could have less wrestling matches in his life too, so he agreed with her. Taylor and Braden were constantly trying their strength and testing their limits with everything and anything, and he assumed that girls were easier to handle. Not that Alexandra had been, but still.

Shaking off the sad thoughts he grinned as he was reminded of how the 'terrible two' had been conceived. Of course he didn't know the _details _–yuck– but they had been told that Slade had been out of the city, on a big job, for almost two weeks, and right then their mother's heat had hit. They had already decided to have more kids, so Robin had recently stopped using the contraceptives Grandpa Bruce and Doctor Leslie had developed, but they hadn't expected the heat to hit so soon. Neither of them were even aware that it was coming until it was too late, and Slade came home to a done deal, so to speak. Oliver – who had had quite a few personal and embarrassing conversations with his mother because he was a carrier himself, knew that both Robin and Red had felt very guilty in the beginning although Slade took it in stride. The man considered all the children his anyway, and Oliver knew it was true: he really had_ two_ fathers, not just a father and an 'extra'.

He shivered and pulled his jacket tighter around himself, wishing he had worn a hat like his mom had told him he should. Yes, it looked stupid as fuck, but his ears were _freezing_.

He glanced at the stands he passed, but nothing caught his eye. He had a little bit of money saved up from his summer job as a bike messenger at a local delivery company in Jump. He had gotten parcels and small packages to the clients faster than anyone else. _Without_ a bike. He wanted to buy something little for everyone in his large family, maybe something for Conner –or Kon-El− too. And Mike and Kat, Dominic's partners, although they had only been together since school started up in the autumn, so maybe not.

He gently pushed between a couple of people in an especially crowded place, and felt a tug at his bag, which made him stumble into someone who was coming the other way.

"Sorry," he mumbled just as someone called out behind him.

"Hey, kid, you dropped your teddy!"

Oliver turned around and an elderly man handed him the plushy that were always attached to the back of his backpack.

"Aw, thank you!" he smiled. "Were you trying to run away, Xue?"

"No?" the person in front of him said.

"No, sorry, Xue here is my-" Oliver had turned around and now he looked up at the guy he had bumped into. Pale yellow eyes met his from behind tousled silvery bangs, and that, as they say, was that.

Although not quite.

"You're the kid who stole my toy." The snow leopard's voice was a deep rumble, which fit his tall frame. He was well over six feet, and though he had very wide shoulders, his build was more lean than bulky. It was a bit hard to see what was hiding under the woolen sweater and long coat, however, but every single one of Oliver's senses said that no matter what it was, he liked it and he _wanted_ it. Preferably right _now._

"I… I…" the blue eyed teen began, before a little bit of his brain kicked in. "Yeah, I guess, sorry, I mean, I was just a baby, so I don't remember anything but my mom told me – remember my mom? Ah, you can't have been that old either, could you? I don't know, mom just called you a 'boy' so... but you look like twenty, maybe? more? I don't know I'm not that good at-"

"You're sure good at talking, anyway," the snow leopard cut him off. Oliver couldn't tell if the look he got from the young man was disapproving, neutral or even amused… his eyes seemed cold but glittered at the same time, and the slightly quirked eyebrow could mean anything, really.

"Sorry," he mumbled and ducked his head, experiencing something for the first time: not only did the instincts invoked by this man's scream 'mate', they also screamed 'dominant'. His parents – all of them – had been the only true dominants in his life so far, with Slade being the alpha, but this wasn't quite the same thing. His family never made him want to completely bend over backwards … or forwards… to please them. Xue did.

"Don't worry about it. Where's your owner?"

"I... Don't have one, I live with my family. Why?"

"The deal needs to be done, doesn't it?"

"Deal?"

"You're my mate."

"I am? I mean, yes, I mean… Are you sure?"

"Aren't_ you_?" the pale brass of the man's eyes bore into him once more and Oliver's mind went a bit blank again. He nodded numbly and for the first time the man smiled at him. Sort of. His lips quirked, at least.

"We… we need to go find my mom and dads…" he mumbled in the end.

"Yes. Come."

Oliver completely forgot that he had a phone, but they eventually found the rest of his family who had gathered because it was getting close to the time they had decided to leave.

"There you are, Ollie," Robin smiled at his son. "Who is your friend?"

"Mom, dad, father… umm… do you remember Xue? He's… he's my mate."

"Oliver, I_ told _you," Robin sighed, "_small _Christmas presents."

"Does it count if he gets something for _himself_?" Dominic smirked.

"He's cute. Hi, I'm Alexandra!" his sister smiled, holding her hand out.

"Xue Baskov," he shook her hand quickly and then turned to Slade, giving the man a nod that almost looked like a short bow. "I respectfully ask to be a candidate for a mate for Oliver. My owner is here too, we should call her and settle this."

"You seem very sure we will agree?" Slade said dryly.

"I'm a snow leopard, one of the rarest of the cats. I'm young, strong, healthy, I have a job that would support a family. There is no reason to refuse me."

"Oh well, you got me _there_," Slade snorted, sarcasm practically dripping from the words. The snow leopard didn't as much as twitch an ear, however, he was standing tall, sure of himself.

"Father!" Oliver groaned. Sure, this wasn't quite as bad as when Alexandra had told him about Superboy, but if Xue was too pushy, Slade would push back. Harder.

"I think we need to talk about this properly someplace warm… preferably with food around," Red said. "Why don't you call that owner of yours, Spotty, and we'll go to the place we're staying at. It's just a few minutes away by car."

"I'll call Cecilia and warn her," Robin mumbled and pulled out his phone.

"Spotty?" the snow leopard growled.

" I just wasn't sure I could pronounce your name… Chi-e?" Red shrugged with a grin.

"Better than 'Spotty'," the young man muttered and reached for a new-looking smart phone from his inner pocket.

"I'm sorry, my dad can be a bit of a… tease," Oliver mumbled, his cheeks red from embarrassment.

Xue gave him a short look. "Don't worry about it," he said and turned away, putting the phone to his ear and walking away to talk in private.

"You okay, sweetie?" Robin asked softly as he came up to him.

"Yeah," Oliver mumbled, their foreheads butting together before he leaned into his mother's body, breathing in the familiar, calming scent.

"Hey, bro, I know it's a bit weird," Dominic added and joined the two of them, Alexandra shortly behind.

"I'm sure he's a good guy," his sister added, rubbing her cheek on his.

"Me too," Oliver smiled, feeling the strength of his family flow into him. "It's just a bit overwhelming, that's all."

"She'll be here shortly," Xue informed them as he came back.

"Oh, that's right, I need to make that call," Robin said, gave Oliver a short hug and stepped away, dissolving their little cat huddle.

As soon as he did however, Xue reached out for Oliver, pulling him close.

"You look cold," the young man offered as an explanation.

Oliver stood stock still, sensing how the leopard sniffed his hair softly. It wasn't that he was _scared_ of the man, he was just… tense. His instincts kept screaming at him louder than ever before but the human part of him told him to hold back, that he shouldn't act the way he wanted to, that it was _wrong_. Their mom had talked about this with them several times, but Oliver never thought he would_ truly _experience it, as he was_ born_ a cat. Sure, in gym he had sometimes been yelled at for attacking the ball when they played sports, but that was _nothing_ compared to this. He let out a little distressed sound and instantly felt the arms around him tightening… and then everything was alright..

"We'll have a lot of beautiful cubs," Xue mumbled against his ear.

And now Oliver was freaking out again.

"What? I'm not-! I mean, we just met, and-!" he stuttered.

"You're a carrier, I can smell that," the young man told him. "Which suits me fine. You've been in heat too, but not for a while, yes?"

Oliver gaped. He had had his first heat when he was fifteen, a sort of 'pre heat' thing, people had told him. Afterwards he had been eating contraceptives just so he wouldn't get them again, and so was his sister. He envied Dominic; 'pure' males didn't go into heat, although they could get quite… _unruly_ when there were unrelated possible mates around who were. Without the contraceptives he would go into heat once or twice a year and that would have been… difficult.

"I heard that, buster, don't you even_ dare_ think about anything like that for _years_!" Robin was suddenly nose to nose with the lepard, growling up at him. Oliver had seen his mother face down Slade more times than he could count, and didn't think it was strange to see him act so fearless in front of the much bigger cat, but Xue was obviously a bit puzzled. After a moment he looked away from the blazing ice blue eyes, though, and lowered his head slightly.

"I meant no disrespect. I'm just happy I found him, and my instincts…"

"Your instincts should be kept in check for now. That goes for you too, kid, " Robin added to his son, who just nodded quickly.

"There's your owner now," Robin nodded towards a woman who was hurrying up to him. "I recognize her," he added, before smiling at her. "Hello, Robin Wilson, it seems like we keep finding your boy…"

"It's… _you_? I remember you, what a coincidence! And the one Xue says is his mate…?"

"It's me," Oliver piped up, and was going to hold his hand out when he discovered that he was still holding his white kitten in it, and switched it to his other hand. The woman saw it, though, and her eyes went even wider.

"You? You were that little boy?"

"I _told _you he was special, Annie," Xue muttered, a bit sullenly, like this was an argument which had been going on between them for quite some time.

"Yes, yes you _did_. He talked about all of you for weeks… although I think he referred to you as 'the stupid baby'," the woman smiled and took the cat boy's hand. "I'm Annie Stein, pleased to meet you." The woman greeted all of them. She seemed to be in her early sixties and had a bit of a haunted look, making her appear older than she really was. Her hair was already graying as well, she was quite skinny and her shoulders were a little hunched. How she could be the owner –and therefore in control− of the magnificent snow leopard, Oliver couldn't understand.

"We're staying at a friend of ours and she has invited you to the house for dinner and a long talk. I think that's needed right now. You have a car here, I assume?" Slade said, taking charge.

"Yes we do, thank you, I believe we need to sort this out as well," Annie nodded, glancing at Xue.

"Then follow us," the mercenary nodded, and gestured for Oliver to come with them, not stay with Xue.

* * *

The ride back to Cecilia's place was a bit of a blur. The Wilsons had borrowed a car from Bruce for the three-day trip to New York. Back home they had a van, a few motorcycles and two other cars by now, as the triplets all had their permits, but it still took a lot of planning if they were all going to the same place at once.

At the lovely manor-like building introductions were made. Chris and Travis, Nick's and Nate's oldest children, had moved out a few years ago to their new owners and mates. Oliver was relieved, in a way, because Cecilia had subtly, and _not _so subtly, tried to pair him with Chris after finding out that Oliver was a carrier. Chris was a stunning young man, yes, but there had been no chemistry there what so ever, and not with Travis, his white twin, either. They were friends, but that was all. Lucy and Alice, the girls, were old enough to move too, according to the Ferocita's traditions, but they had still to find good matches, it seemed, although even Oliver, who rarely looked twice at anything with breasts, had to admit that they were stunning. Dominic had had a little thing for both of them when they came to visit two years ago, but nothing had come of it. Oliver knew that Robin was secretly glad that the families hadn't 'mixed', because he had overheard him tell Red that he was worried about the traditions and what those might mean for future generations. Oliver glanced at Xue, wondering how traditional he and his owner were…

As dinner was ready they sat down to eat first, getting to know each other a little.

"Tell us about yourself, Xue," Robin smiled, being friendly. "How old are you, and what do you do for a living?"

"I'm twenty-two and I'm a traditional healer and physiotherapist," the snow leopard said, causing a few surprised looks around the table.

"Looks like we're going to have a doctor in the family, " Red chuckled. "Handy."

"Hardly," Slade snorted. "What kind of 'traditional healing'?" The man had been around the block a few times and didn't believe in unproven methods of any kind, and you could tell that by the tone of his voice.

Oliver winced, wishing his father could be a little more diplomatic.

"Acupuncture and pressure points among other things. I'm not a witch doctor, Sir, I won't give you ground up tiger dick and tell you it will help you fuck all night."

Red snorted into his soup quite badly, and Oliver thought he heard a choked "I like this kid".

He studied Slade carefully, though, until he saw a tiny smirk on the man's face.

"I won't need any help with that," the mercenary said, eliciting groans from his three children while Xue smirked and shrugged like he wasn't sure he believed him.

"Well, last time we saw you, you and Annie were heading to China to track down your father…" Robin said. "Did you ever find him? Did you stay long?"

"We found him. He was the one to teach me the basics of my trade, but he passed away when I was sixteen, from cancer. He didn't believe in western medicine at all, and that opened my eyes a bit… Up to that point I had blindly believed my father, he was… very important to me."

"I'm… I'm sorry for your loss," Oliver managed to blurt out, and got a nod and one of those not-quite-smiles in return.

"I began to learn how westerners had adapted the Asian traditional medicine, finding flaws in both. The modern world has trouble believing in things they can't see in a microscope, but tradition is too full of superstition and treatments that are plain wrong, both medically and morally, like the use of parts from rare animals to create 'cures' that has absolutely no effect what so ever. I finally decided to work primarily on the muscular and skeletal systems as many of our common ailments stems from there; migraines, back and joint pains… as long as an underlying condition, like tumors, has been ruled out, I can usually help."

Oliver listened, but found himself enjoying the man's voice so much that he barely heard the actual words. The snow leopard had a rather triangular face, but with a strong jaw. His hair wasn't as snow white as Slade's were, more a silvery color, with darker parts that formed fuzzy spots where Nick and Nate had stripes. The hair had some swirls in it, but it wasn't as curly as Oliver's own had grown to be.

It looked very soft, a little shaggy, and the rounded white and black ears sticking out of it were just so adorable… Oliver sighed wistfully to himself, and suddenly the whole table was looking at him with amused expressions on their faces.

"You just sounded like a fourteen year old lovesick girl, bro," Dominic chuckled.

"Shut up," Oliver muttered, turning beet red.

"Yeah, shut up," Alexandra agreed. "You should have heard yourself a few months ago. At least he's not singing love ballads in the shower!"

"Yet."

"Settle down, kids," Robin chuckled. "I think your brother is appropriately humiliated. So, Xue, your father is Chinese, but your last name sounds Russian?"

"My mother was originally from Ukraine," he nodded. "They met on one of her many travels with her owner. She settled in the United States when she found out she was pregnant with me, because both she and her owner knew many people in the Ferocita communities here… and then she died in the car accident."

Oliver swallowed as Robin nodded. "I remember you telling us that. Poor boy. You were so little. You stayed in China, for a long time, then? I can hear that you have a bit of an accent."

Oliver snorted. Xue didn't have an accent, his voice was perfect!

"We only returned to the states this year. Xue still has property here, inherited from his mother's owner, and he wanted to come back to find his mate."

"Which I did." The leopard sounded proud as he caught Oliver in his gaze again.

"Yes… he always claimed he knew that his mate were here, I've never understood why, but it seems he was right," Annie shrugged.

"Well… we'll have to discuss all that later," Robin said, looking uncertain. Oliver gave him a worried look. They wouldn't say _no,_ would they? They _couldn't_! From the corner of his eye, he could see Xue tense as well, but the man only glared at his owner, who made a calming gesture and nodded tiredly.

"Yes, later. First let us enjoy this dinner in peace, the food is absolutely superb."

Food? There was food? Oliver looked at his plate and discovered that he was in the middle of a meal he had barely touched. He picked up his fork and tried a few things, which all tasted great, but he just wasn't hungry. There was no room in his stomach for food with that huge knot and gazillion of butterflies already in there.

There was dessert too, and for once in his life, Oliver hated ice cream.

When the meal was over, Cecilia and her family excused themselves to let the others have some privacy.

"If you don't mind, I think we need to have a little talk to our son first," Robin said. "Dominic, Alexandra, you are excused."

"But mooom-" Oliver's siblings objected.

"Get out of here, scram!" Slade barked, but wih a chuckle in his voice. "Damn curious kittens the lot of you. Oliver, come with us."

The teen felt like he was walking to his doom when he followed his parents into a small sitting room. When the doors closed, his dad slung an arm around his shoulder and ruffled his hair, though. "Come on, kid, don't look so damn gloomy. You're doing okay, right? This is a good thing?" Red asked.

"Yeah! Of course it is!" Oliver said and then sighed. "And it's also weird and embarrassing, and… well…"

"A bit scary?" his mother asked and cupped his cheek. "I know, sweetie, your mate out there has a really… special scent."

"I don't want to hear that you have been sniffing pretty boy out there," Slade muttered. "And you," he added to Oliver, "better not have done anything _more_ than sniffed!"

"Damn, you didn't, did you?" his mother added, staring at him, before starting to sniff him intently.

"No! Mom, stop! No, we_ just_ met! We literally just bumped into each other and then went to find you guys! Sheesh!"

"Good," Slade nodded. "So… you're sure this is the one, then?"

"Y-yes?"

"You don't _sound_ too sure."

"I am! I mean… he smells_ so_ right! Mom, help me out here!"

"I will, it's a very powerful feeling, but… and this is important, sweetie… just because he smells _right_ to you, doesn't mean that no one_ else_ will. Maybe the next one will smell even _more_ right… so you will have to try to think outside your instinct here, make sure you really _like_ him… his personality, everything. Nick once told me that there are no such things as soul mates, and I believe he's right."

"Xue seems to think there is. He seems to think we were meant for each other," Oliver muttered.

"Yes, but that is what _he_ thinks. What your mate_ thinks_ doesn't have to be_ true_, trust me," Robin said and glanced at his own.

"I am the exception that proves the rule," Slade claimed with a smirk.

"Yes, dear, that is what _you_ think," Robin added lightly. "Anyway, I don't believe in soul mates, I believe in matches. That, when we meet someone we are a good match for, maybe on a genetic level, he or she will smell really good to us, and it will feel really good, but that doesn't mean we _have_ to pair up with that person."

"It doesn't?"

"No, and you're very young yet. Yes, I know I was younger than you when I had you, but don't go by my example, alright?"

"Besides, this one might be stuck in the old ways," Red added, "What if he doesn't want you to go to college? What if you end up arguing about everything?"

"But… he'll be devastated," Oliver argued.

"Yes, and maybe angry too, but that doesn't matter. You are not to enter this thing unless _you_ want to," Slade said sternly. "Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Oliver nodded. "But… I think I want to."

"I think you need some more time to get to know one another," Robin said. "How about we invite them to Wayne Manor for Christmas and New Years? They can come with us when we leave tomorrow if they wish."

"If Bruce agrees," Slade nodded.

"Sounds good to me," Red agreed. "How about you, kid?"

"Yeah… yeah, I'd like that," Oliver smiled. "You think he'll agree, though?"

"I'm_ pretty _sure he'd agree to spend Christmas in a swamp If you were there," Robin smirked. "The important thing here is to not make any promises, alright?"

"Alright."

"And for the love of god, keep eating your pills!"

"MOM!"

"I'm just saying… something like this might very well trigger a heat, and if you even miss _one_… remember that time I had the stomach flu and couldn't keep anything down for three days?"

"I've been _trying _to forget," Oliver groaned. The kids had been shipped off to friends and the Titan's Tower for few days, but hearing his mother yell 'I need someone to fuck me right _now_!' through a locked door had left some scars. He didn't blame him, though, as he had been through a milder version of it himself. He didn't blame his father's for locking Robin up either…

"Alright, let's ask them to join us," Slade said.

When they returned to the dining room Xue was missing, however.

"He just took a short walk, he needed to get out a little," Annie explained.

"Oh, why? Is he okay?" Red asked.

"Yes, yes, it's just that… well.. snow leopards are known to be solitary. He and his father lived in either side of the house on the outskirts of a remove ferocita village in the mountains… he doesn't dislike people, but it can just be a bit much for him sometimes. He needs peace and quiet."

"That... might be a problem…" Robin muttered.

"I'm sorry if I kept you waiting," Xue said as he walked through the door at that moment. The first thing he did was approach Oliver and sniff him, as to make sure he was alright after their short separation. Oliver subtly sniffed the man back, trying to determine the same thing. "Are we ready to make the deal?"

"Xue, this is for the owners to discuss first," Annie said sternly, wielding the little authority she had over the man.

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded, yielding to it. "But I don't see the problem. We have a house, we have some funds… they just need to name their price."

"You can't _buy_ me, I'm not for _sale_," Oliver snorted, strengthened by knowing that he had his parent's support in this. "I go to school and soon I'll be going off to college. I'm going to be a journalist, I think…" he added a bit vaguely, because he wasn't sure. He just knew he liked talking to people.

"College? In the _human_ world?" the man sounded stunned and his ears had lowered. He obviously didn't like that thought.

"Yes, Xue," Robin cut in. "You see, we _all_ live in the 'human world', as you call it, and not according to the traditions you were raised with. That is why we have to talk this through properly. Come, let's sit down. I think it helps if I told you about our family first…"

* * *

When they returned to the small sitting room, Red pulled Oliver away from Xue, albeit subtly, and made him sit down with him on a couch across a small table from the snow leopard.

"Sorry, kid, I just want you to have a clear head and not your nose full of pheromones," the thief whispered.

"Thanks, Dad… but I hate you a little. Sorry," Oliver mumbled back, eyeing the empty spot next to Xue.

"If you really get together I promise never to cock block you again."

"Daaaad…" Oliver groaned.

"_If_ you babysit Teagan and the twins when we get back to Gotham for a whole evening. Including putting them to bed."

"Why? What are you guys going to do?"

"Aw, sweetie… my poor, innocent, naïve-"

"Ah. Got it."

"-clever little boy." his dad grinned.

Oliver listened quietly as his mother explained about their family, their background and, roughly, how they lived. He kind of skimmed over the bit about what his dad had done for a living and that Slade sometimes returned home from work covered in things that should be inside other people. He also didn't tell them what Grandpa Bruce used to do.

Oliver was watching different expression cross Xue's face from fascination, to disapproval and something that looked like worry. He asked questions sometimes, short and to the point, and the pale eyes never left his mother's. The young man started to feel jealous. It didn't seem right that Xue should pay attention to anyone but _him_. As soon as he became aware of that thought he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Just instinct and hormones and other such thing… he wasn't actually jealous at his own _mother_, that would just be stupid… but did he_ have_ tolook at him like that?

"So… I hope you have a better idea what you're getting yourself into now?" Robin finished.

"We do, thank you," Annie nodded.

"How much are you asking for him?" Xue wanted to know.

"Have you been listening at all? Our son is not for _sale_," Red snapped at him.

"But there needs to be some kind of contract. A school can be arranged for him too if he insists… what can we offer, Annie?" the snow leopard asked his owner.

"Xue, we just returned to the states, I know you want to live in the house you were born in, but the state of it… our funds are pretty much tied into it right now, and-"

"Like we said, he is not for sale."

"Then what do humans do? Get married? We'll do that, then."

"You can't, Ollie is only seventeen, you have to wait a year-"

"No!" Oliver cried out and Xue had joined him.

"I-" the honey-haired cat boy added," I… don't want to wait that long."

"Neither do I. You're mine, I'm yours, we should be together."

If the low coffee table between them had been alive, it would have edged out of the way to avoid getting hurt, because it looked like the two young mates were about to jump into each other's arms.

"Calm down, both of you, we'll figure this out," Robin said.

"The solution is pretty simple," Slade shrugged and all eyes turned to him. "We won't sell our son, but I'm comfortable enough with double standards to not have a problem with buying _Xue_."

Funnily enough it seemed that everyone in the room blinked at once, when this idea sank in.

"I'm a snow leopard, I'm very expensive," the young man felt the need to point out.

"So you wouldn't be happy if we offered Annie one dollar, just so you could be with Oliver?" Robin asked flatly.

"It's not that!" the leopard snarled, making Slade straighten up. Seeing the bigger male's move, the ferocita settled down again and lowered his head a little in apology. "You don't understand. I'm Annie's most valuable possession. She was going to sell me in a few years anyway… When my mother's owner left me to her in his will, he did it to secure her future. Selling me cheaply would mean taking away her life savings, especially since I know living abroad has been expensive, as well as my education. We've mostly been living on funds left to her in the will as well. The only thing I begged her not to sell was the house… it's a fantastic house…"

"Which has been abandoned for seventeen years and needs an extensive renovation," Annie sighed. "and if you're not going to use it-"

"We might!" Oliver spoke up and then shot to his feet as he had an idea. "Let's say my parents buy you and Annie gets all that money… the house is really hers, right, since she owns you? Then why don't we write up a contract or something, saying she should use some of that money to fix the house up and then she can live in it, if she wants, and when I'm done with college and stuff, maybe we can move there? It would be nice to have house if… if we have… kids…" he trailed off a little and blushed. "But… that depends if Annie would let us move in with her, of course…"

"I think that sounds very nice," the woman nodded. "And if anything should happen… Xue, or his current owner if he has a new one at that point, is the sole heir in my will."

"Don't talk like that Annie…" the silver-haired young man mumbled and pushed his head against her. It was the first show of physical affection Ollie had seen between them and judging by the happy look on the old woman's face it wasn't that common that the leopard showed his love for her.

"It just pays to be prepared, honey," she said softly and gave him a small hug.

"So, Annie…" Slade said and gestured to Xue. "What do you want for the mangy, horny brat?"

_To Be Continued…._

* * *

A/N: I know ONE person already shipped them, from an anonymous review, so I hope you're happy! ;)

Also, if you noticed the story's icon has changed! This one is by **Baruga**, there was a bit of a mix up, and I got two, but this fitted the future story better as they aren't babies anymore… ;) I'm gonna combine them later!


	27. Happy New Life, part 2

**A/N**: Slade gets some upsetting news. I write something that might upset you. People are upset all over this chapter, maybe? ;)

* * *

**Happy New Life part 2:**

**Back to Gotham**

Eventually a price was settled, a very high one. Oliver looked worriedly at Slade, but the man only smirked and shrugged.

"You won't get any more Christmas presents. Ever," Robin told him with a little laugh.

"That's okay…" the boy grinned back and glanced at Xue. "It really is."

"But remember what we agreed on: you'll get to spend Christmas and New Years at Wayne Manor together, _before_ we actually do the deal… so you have some time to get to know each other and be absolutely sure."

"Yes, mom, I know."

"And no sex!" Red cut in.

"Dad!"

"Love," Robin said and smiled softly at the thief, "Oliver is a Ferocita who has found his mate. Although I agree that he should maybe at least try to wait… it's more or less impossible to resist the urge to 'bond' completely. It's almost as bad as a heat, and we have no pills for_ that_."

"I'm with Red, I think he's a bit too young-" Slade, the hypocrite, cut in.

"What? But Alexandra and Dominic already-!" Oliver began, and then almost bit his tongue off at the look on Slade's face.

"Are you saying that my _daughter_… with that… that _CLONE_…?"

"Slade-" Robin tried to say calmingly.

"You _knew _about this?"

"Sweetie, I… um… could smell it. And I know what it's like! I mean, I was a bit too confused myself, but Nick told me-"

"You _all_ knew, didn't you?" the man growled. Red didn't object either and Oliver noticed that his mother looked absolutely miserable… though he probably looked the same way himself. This was their alpha_ angry_ with them! It didn't happen often, but it was scary as hell.

"Listen, big guy, she's seventeen, okay? And she's on birth control… and it's only one guy, a superhero, and-" Red tried.

"And I'm going to shove a huge piece of kryptonite up his ass," Slade muttered.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but Alexandra wanted to break it to you gently and she… well.. she knew you would react like this. She's not your little girl anymore." Robin spoke softly, his ears flat against his head, eyes on the floor.

Suddenly Oliver felt strong arms engulf him and pull him back a little, out of Slade's immediate range.

"He's really that upset that his daughter fucked someone?" Xue whispered in his ear.

"She's like his little princess, he already disliked her _dating_," Oliver smiled, as he whispered back. "He'll calm down. See? He just noticed that mom looks like he's going to cry, and now he's going to do his best to make sure he feels better."

"They really love each other?"

"Yes."

"Soon we will too."

That statement made Oliver's heart sink a little, but he knew it was true; they didn't love each other, they were in _lust_, if anything. They needed to get to _know_ each other first. But he had high hopes… after all, his mother and fathers had been _enemies_. He nodded and craned his head back to smile up at the leopard. He got a small smile back, which seemed to create molten lava in his stomach. It was a surprisingly nice feeling.

They remained like that until Slade stomped off to have a word with his daughter. Red pulled Robin in for a hug and sighed.

"You noticed that he had no problem with Dominic being with Mike and Kat?" the thief asked.

"I did. Sexist. Especially as Kat could get pregnant. I've had a really, really serious talk with all of them, though, and to be honest… I'm not sure if they are his true mates or not. His dominant instincts might just be looking for a pack of his own…"

"Conner, then?"

"Conner is legit, he smells right, he _acts_ right… I don't know how much of the bond humans actually feel, but they should feel _something_."

"I feel it… I mean, I thought it was just a sudden crush at first and… you know… fun times, but it was clearly stronger and longer lasting than that," Red said.

Oliver listened to every word so intently that his ears were about to fall off. He had no idea that his mom had that feeling about Dominic's partners, and at that moment it seemed like Robin remembered that his oldest son was in the room and looked over at him.

"Not a word about this to your brother or sister, Ollie," he warned him.

"Of course not." The younger cat shook his head seriously.

"Xue," Annie spoke up, "we should go home and start getting things in order."

"Do you live close by?" Oliver asked, unconsciously grabbing his mate's sweater as if he didn't want to let him go, which was true.

"Fairly, we live within the same community right now. We rented a house here," the leopard told him. "My mother's house is in a similar community outside of Chicago, though… but like Annie said, it's too run down to live in at the moment. It had some water damage from a leaky roof and such."

"Will… will you be alright with living in Jump, then?" Oliver asked. "With your practice and everything, I mean?"

"Well, do you have many Ferocitas in Jump?"

"Um… a few, now, but doesn't your skills work on humans as well?"

"Humans?"

"Yes… I mean… you'll be living with _us_, so…"

The young man blinked like something had just occurred to him. "I'll be living in the human world…"

"Yes, so… you can have human clients as well, right? I'm sure you will be really popular!"

Xue looked like he had second thoughts about the whole thing, but then gave a small shrug. "I make sure to provide for us."

"…And you might want to look into the whole 'it's not the fifties' thing too; because I also intend to 'provide for us'," Oliver added haughtily.

"Of course, once you graduate," Xue nodded. "And if you're not pregnant by then."

"Um… yeah." Oliver wanted to say that they should wait to have kids, but his instincts were screaming that they wanted babies _right now_, a whole football team of them, so he couldn't muster the indignation to object. It would work out, somehow.

"Break it up you two, you'll see each other in a few days," Robin called to them from across the room, where he had been talking to Annie. Slade was still missing, but at least no screaming was heard.

"It seems so long to the twenty-third," Oliver muttered. It was the eighteenth now and on second thought his parents had insisted on them getting a few days to 'set things up'. He knew why it was important to have the house, and especially Bruce, prepared, of course, but still. Five days! Might as well have been _years_!

"I know, we have to be strong." Xue was deadly serious when he said that, meaning he felt the pull just as much as Oliver did. Being apart would be torture. "Could we have a moment alone?" he asked the others.

"Just a moment, then," Red said, sounding unusually stern. "Three minutes. Go."

"Dad…" Oliver sighed, but then swallowed nervously, as he found himself alone with the leopard.

Xue seemed to relax, though, when the others left, and gave him a wider smile than before.

"I didn't want to kiss you in front of your parents," he explained.

"You… you're going to-?" And yes, yes he was. When their lips met it was like all the movie clichés in the world got together. Fireworks, volcanoes, bird-song, flowers blooming… the inside of his head was absolutely crazy.

* * *

"Oliver, they left thirty minutes ago, is that silly grin _ever _coming off?" his dad asked him.

"Hm?" the boy, deep in fantasy land, asked.

"I give up. Where is Slade, I want him to make me grin like that," Red muttered.

"We should go and find them, just to make sure they haven't killed each other," Robin nodded. "Ollie, go to bed."

"Hm?"

"I think we have to wait until his brain comes back online," Red chuckled. "Come on, babe, leave him alone."

Oliver snorted. His brain was just_ fine_. But yeah, heading to bed sounded good… He actually started to climb the stairs ahead of his parents, who had been held up by Cecilia.

Half way up, he met a closed-faced looking Slade. Oliver gave his alpha as much space as he could, not liking that expression. He knew Slade would never, ever hurt any of them, they had never been spanked for example, but his inner cat knew to keep his head down at times like these.

As they met, however, the man's hand shot out and ruffled his hair in passing. Oliver smiled and went to find his siblings.

Dominic had already entered Alexandra's room after hearing Slade leave, and Oliver padded in soon after.

"You okay?" he asked in a hushed tone. His sister had been crying, but her face was relaxed now.

"Yeah…" She butted her head against his and sighed. "He said the D-word."

"Ow. That's horrible. I hate it when they do that," Dominic muttered.

"Yeah… and that look in their eyes… 'Oliver, we thought we talked about your math grades… We're _Disappointed_'," the oldest of the triplets mimicked his mother.

"How's the extra work there going, by the way?" Dominic grinned.

"Oh, shut up, not everyone can be born with a calculator in their scull!" Ollie muttered. "You _look_ like a thug, you _should _have the lowest grades."

"Hey, I can't help it if I have some sense of style," Dominic grinned. He_ did_ look like a thug though. Or maybe more one of those old-time rockers. His black hair stood on end in an spiky style that reminded Ollie of old photos he had seen of his mother, before his change, although Dom's hair was more tousled. The lower parts of both his ears were pierced with three thin silver rings each –an action which had led to one of those 'disappointment speeches'− and his most prized possessions where his leather jacket and his motorcycle. He was tall, wide-shouldered and muscular, taking after his father's build, although it was still feline. All in all, if you saw him in the street, you would _not _mess with him. Not even a little.

Therefore it was so weird that he was a total nerd. Well, according to Oliver, at least. Firstly, he clammed up around people, unless he had something important to say, and secondly he was actually_ interested_ in math and business and things like that. So much so that Grandpa Bruce had made him his –so far- unofficial heir to Wayne Industries. Oliver didn't mind at all; the idea of running a company made him panic. Being shut away and tied up like that… no thanks!

"You _could _use a bit of a makeover, you know," his sister told him, twirling a strand of her brilliantly white hair around a finger. Alexandra had always enjoyed being stylish, but she had gone through quite a few different ones by now. At thirteen she had cut her hair to a short pixie-look, which did make her adorable, but once she began 'blossoming' as their parents had once called it, she let it grow out again, and now it reached quite a bit below her shoulders in free, soft curls which she tended to gather up in a pony tail when it got in the way… which mainly was during fighting. Alex was a hero-in-training and Oliver thought the Teen Titans would have officially asked her to join them a long time ago if it wasn't for her somewhat… aggressive approach. She had been taught by her father as well as her mother, after all, and Slade might have had a tiny bit of an effect on her morals when it came to making sure that she won.

Oliver's own honey-colored hair just hung in loose curls whichever way it wanted. It was long enough to tickle his shoulders, so he guessed he could use a haircut, but gaining a 'style' had never really been his thing. He liked comfy clothes, although he preferred well fitting jeans; he knew he had a nice ass, and why not flaunt it? Labels and stuff didn't interest him, though; he bought clothes where he happened to be when he needed some, and when it came to colors he didn't think you could go wrong with blue jeans and a white t-shirt, could you? The rest of his family had 'style' enough; he was happy with not standing out more than he already did.

"Don't worry about my looks, sis. You're sure you're okay, then?" he asked again.

"I think I got him to understand that I'm a woman now," she smiled a little. "But what about you? How did it go with Xue?"

"He kissed me!" Oliver blurted out when he suddenly remembered.

"AAAH! TELL ME EVERYTHING!" Alex squealed and pulled them both onto her bed and into the "sibling snuggling position" they had developed over the years; basically they all lay in a circle on their sides, propping themselves up on the next person's legs. He had had friends who had been shocked at how physically close they were, there had even been nasty rumors about incest at school, but their relationship had never, ever been sexual. Sure, there had been questions about how it felt to have a "willie" or, later, boobs, but that was just curiosity. The body contact was just their cat-selves way to bond. They had had their own rooms for ages, but sometimes they still slept in the same bed, at times even with their parents and younger siblings, which was apparently something that was _completely_ shocking. Oliver snorted at the thought. It wasn't like they were _naked_.

"So… spill!" his sister ordered.

"It was… it was just… wow!" Oliver began dreamingly.

"I know! With Conner, I just- but sorry, this is about you," she smiled. "Is everything set? Are you… are you going with him, or…?" She didn't look happy about that, and Oliver felt how Dominic hugged his legs, tighter, like he didn't want him to leave.

He told them everything –apart from what his mother had asked him not to say, of course– and their ears perked up.

"Great, then we have until the summer, at least…" Alexandra hummed. The fact that college would separate them not only from each other but from their whole family, was something that bothered them all, although Alexandra had seemed more at peace with it all since she had found Conner, and Oliver had to admit that a world without his family there seemed a bit easier now, as long as Xue was with him. His friends had teased them, many of them couldn't _wait_ to move out and get away from parents and siblings… he thought that was a bit sad, but apparently it was the way it was supposed to be for humans. Ferocitas were supposed to bond to someone, an owner or a mate or both, but many species had a strong family connection up until then, although it depended on how strong the 'alpha' was… Slade seldom had a problem keeping them in line and the sense of 'pack' had only grown stronger with him as a leader. That thought made Oliver's mind shift to Xue, and what_ he_ might be like as an Alpha.

"He's so… he's so amazing…" he sighed happily.

"Dude, you don't even_ know_ him," Dominic pointed out.

"Pft, he's his mate, you don't _need_ to… he just _is_," Alexandra giggled. "Are you going to sleep with him when he comes to Gotham, then?"

"I… I don't know, I think so," Oliver blushed. "I mean… when I consider _not _to, it's like… not an option."

"I know. I was so damn scared the first time, and I still practically _raped _him," Alexandra muttered. "The damn man tried to be noble and say things like 'let's wait' and stuff… he even wanted to meet daddy! Imagine that! He had seen it in some movie or something…"

"But you felt it, then? The bond?" Oliver said, an glanced furtively at Dominic, who frowned slightly.

"Oh yeah, and so did he! Didn't take him long to come around, let me tell you." Smugness practically oozed from the young woman's voice.

"Was it like that with you and Mike and Kat?" Oliver asked his brother innocently. Just because he had promised his mother not to tell Dominic about his suspicions, didn't mean he couldn't help him come to his own conclusions, if it was true.

"We haven't actually… done it," Dom confessed.

"What?" Alexandra gaped. "But that time I walked into your room…?"

"Yeah, we've fooled around, like a _lot_… we've _almost_ done it, but not the… actual thing."

"But… why?" she asked. "I mean… for me it almost _hurt_, I just _had_ to bond with him!"

"Well, maybe we bond some other way," Dominic said. "Or maybe it's because I'm the Alpha… I have better control than you two wanton creatures," he added with a grin, getting a soft kick in the head from Oliver.

"Mom said it might be different for me, more intense, because we are both Ferocitas and your mates are human," he said after making sure his younger litter mate had paid.

"Conner feels it, though, I _know _he does. Like dad and daddy," Alexandra claimed stubbornly.

Dom frowned deeper. "You sure?"

"Yeah! It's like… I don't know. Like he can feel _me_, you know?" Alex looked over at Oliver, who nodded. He could already feel something like that between him and Xue and they hadn't even bonded yet.

"Huh…" the black-haired teen mumbled.

"Hey, they are true humans, though," Oliver comforted him. "I mean, Superboy has super powers, right? He probably picks up on these things easier, just like father would… it doesn't have to mean that they… um…"

"Aren't my true mates? Is that what you're saying?" his brother sounded upset, but also a little frightened.

"No! No, they _could_ be! Or maybe they are just… like… a normal boyfriend and girlfriend? You know? Who says you have to meet your mate right off the bat? Maybe you need some practice bossing someone else around first?" There. Laying it out as his own thoughts should be pretty safe, right? It wasn't like saying 'hey mom said he thought you should dump them'.

"I'll boss _you_ around…" the other teen muttered.

"Feel free to try," Ollie leered.

"Xue will eat your for lunch," Alexandra pointed out.

"Hey, I can handle my little brother!" Oliver objected. "I don't need my man to fight for me."

"'Your man' huh? That's so precious," the girl snickered.

"Well, he _is_. Or will be. Does it hurt?"

"Well, Conner didn't stick it up my _ass_," his sister pointed out. "But okay, listen; if it's not great the first time, that's okay. Because you're nervous and stuff, right? For me… well, the bonding felt great, but the sex was… kinda not fun, you know? But keep at it, because by the third time, it was lots better!"

"And when did it get amazing?" Oliver wanted to know.

"Around the tenth."

"What? You did it _ten_ times without it being _good_?"

"Oh, it was _good_, I just… well it was hard to relax and I felt guilty too, because daddy didn't know anything, and… well…"

"So now when he knows, you think it will get even better?" Dominic asked.

Alexandra's eyes widened and her face split into a huge shit-eating grin. "I have to call Conner! He should be able to pop over to Gotham, right? For just a night or so?"

"Before he does, tell grandpa to hide the kryptonite. I know he has some in the cave, and I bet father does too," Oliver warned her.

"Good thinking," the young woman nodded seriously.

They talked for hours that night, and ended up falling asleep where they lay.

* * *

"_There _you are! Get up you lazy bastards, we're leaving in an hour!" Red yelled at them from the doorway.

"Not _our_ fault you didn't make a decent man out of our mom," Dominic muttered.

"I'm so gonna tell mom you said that," Oliver grinned as Alexandra stretched and yawned.

"You go do that, because dibs on the shower!" Dom retorted and a mad dash for the bathroom started. Red yelped and jumped out of the way when his oldest children rushed by.

"Xue is here for you!" he called out to Oliver, making him stop dead, which had his brother and sister crashing into him, as he had taken the lead, quick as he was.

"But I'm not… I'm…" the boy looked down on the crumpled clothes he was still wearing from last night, and his ears fell. He looked absolutely miserable. "Nooo!"

"He won't care," Red told him and grabbed the young man's arm, leading him downstairs.

"But I look like a mangy alley cat!"

"Maybe that's his thing. Just make it quick."

"But daaad! I-"

"Hello, Oliver."

Xue's voice sent shockwaves though him and the teen let himself be led to the bottom of the stairs where he was abandoned by his dad in front of the leopard.

"H-hi."

"I just wanted to see you again before you left."

"I… just woke up."

"I can see that." It looked like the other male was trying not to chuckle. "I brought you a present."

"You- you did?"

"Yes. It's just a book. It's about the region of China I lived in… it's mostly like a travel's guide for tourists, but I thought you might be curious…" he said and held it out.

"Yes! Yes of course, thank you!"

"Your dad said you didn't have much time, that you were leaving in an hour or so?"

"Yeah," Oliver's ears fell.

"We'll see each other soon again, though."

"Yeah."

Awkwardness settled for a moment, before Oliver fond some of his usual courage.

"Could you… kiss me again, you think?"

The older male chuckled and pulled him close. "I think that can be arranged, yes."

Their lips met for much longer this time, and the teen felt the other young man's tongue just for a moment, making him bold enough to return the little lick.

"Aw, that's precious!" Dominic's voice could be heard as he sauntered down the stars.

"Bro, I hate you so much right now," Oliver groaned as Xue drew away to face him.

"I didn't appreciate the interruption either," the leopard half growled and glared at the black-haired boy.

Oliver could see his brother straighten up, puffing his chest up a little, and meeting the glare.

_Oh, no, don't get off on the wrong foot…_ he thought desperately, but then Dominic turned his eyes away and deflated.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to be funny. Besides, mom said to hurry if you want any breakfast."

His mother meant it, he knew. A family as large as his couldn't afford to wait for one member if he or she had had sufficient warning, so if you didn't heed those you could leave the house hungry, dirty and/or partially undressed. It had happened.

"I will! Just... scram, okay?"

"Sure will. I need to get to the sandwich meat before you do," his brother grinned and left.

"Don't mind him, we're really close so he thinks it's okay to do that," Oliver told Xue.

"Seems like he needs to be taught his place," the snow leopard shrugged but he didn't seem angry, he just stated a fact.

"No, please don't… I mean, with you both being alphas, it could get… messy."

"Alpha? Him? He's not an alpha… he could grow _up_ to a be one one day, _maybe_, but he's not one now."

"What? You're sure?"

"He would have stood his ground if he was. For longer, at least. He wasn't close enough for me to really smell very well, but, no… not alpha."

"But why would he challenge you, he's family? And when Slade-"

"Slade is different. He's the alpha of your whole_ pack_, and he's_ strong_. I would _never_ challenge _him_. Well... I _would _if he had refused to let me have you…"

"Won't he be your alpha too when we… um… buy you?"

"In a way. But you and I are a pack of our own, so he'll mostly be my owner."

"You don't need to think of him as that if you don't want to. We don't really believe in owners, as you know."

"I know. And I don't believe owners are strictly necessary either… though I'm very glad I had Annie."

Oliver nodded and then grinned, rising up on his toes to give the leopard a quick kiss. "Thank you for the book! I really have to go now, though, or I'll be in trouble…"

"I'll see you in Gotham. Soon."

"Yes, soon!"

"And maybe… we can be alone there?"

The rest of his family flashed in front of Oliver's eyes and he winced.

"We can _try_," he muttered.

* * *

"Hey, guys, did you know-"

"No! We didn't! Shut up! You've been reading out loud from that book the whole trip! How are we supposed to know _anything _about a small part of China that almost no one lives in?" Dominic asked his brother and clamped his hands over his lowered ears.

"Oh. Sorry. But there's this tree-"

"Mooom! Make him stop!"

"You could all stand to learn something, I happen to think it's interesting," Robin said loftily. "What about that tree, dear?"

"You'll have to find out later, we're here," Slade chuckled.

"Thank you!" Dominic exclaimed. "I'm gonna go call Mike and Kat."

"I'm going to call.. um… a friend…" Alexandra, who had been a bit quiet in the car, said and slunk away.

"I didn't get Xue's number!" Oliver suddenly exclaimed. "I don't even know if he has a phone! What if-"

"We have Annie's number, you can call their house," Red told him soothingly.

"I can?"

"I assume you have learned how a phone works?" Slade asked.

"Yes, but… it's not too soon?"

"I think calling just to say that you arrived safely is a _very_ good idea," Robin smiled.

"But what do I say?"

"You're on your own _there_," his dad snickered. "Come on, son, help me unpack first and you can think about it, okay?"

As they entered the manor three kids came running up to them, and Robin caught them all in their arms, sniffing and purring.

"Ow, mom! You're messing up my hair!" Taylor objected.

"I can't breathe!" his twin gasped. They looked very much alike, both had dark brown, straight hair, but Braden's ears and tail were black, whereas his brother had the same color all over.

"Mommy, mommy, I made a painting! Ben helped!" Little Teagan exclaimed, waving it in the air. She was blond, although her hair was so fair that it was almost as white as her sisters. She didn't have a tail, though, and her ears were human. They didn't know for sure if she actually was all human, but she had developed at a normal human speed. After five 'super babies' her parents had been worried for her, but been told again and again by professionals that everything was as it should be.

"You've all been good to Ben, haven't you?"

"They have indeed, Sir," Benjamin, or Ben –sometimes Benny− the current butler of the house, told them.

"I think Benjamin is covering for them," Bruce chuckled as he came up to greet them as well. The man was in his late fifties now and had put the Batman cowl on the shelf a long time ago. He now worked as a mentor for other young heroes in the city and, after the Joker had died fifteen years ago, he had, once he retired, chosen to go public with his former identity. He still fought crime, but only from the cave, nowadays. He had kept his impressive build even though his hair was going gray, and he was still a bachelor. He and Selina had never hooked up properly, even though they were still friends… maybe even friends with benefits, Oliver suspected, but he really did_ not_ want to think of his grandfather like that; his parents were bad enough.

"Dominic, could you come to the office later? I want to go through some things with you," Bruce added to the black-haired cat.

"Sure grandpa, I'm just gonna make a call first, okay?" the teen said.

"We have something to tell you all, but I'm going to go see Alfred first," Robin said. "Do you want to show your painting to uncle Alfred, sweetie?" he asked his youngest daughter.

"Yes! Alfred's funny!"

"Yes, Alfred's funny…" Robin sighed a bit sadly and led his daughter away.

"I'll come with you!" Oliver said and hurried after them.

They found the old man in his wheelchair, facing the bay window. He couldn't see that much anymore, but he liked the sun on his face.

"Alfred!" Robin spoke loudly. "It's me, Robin. Teagan wanted to show you a drawing!"

"Good afternoon, Master Robin. Who do we have here? What a sweet little girl…" the old man's voice was faint, but he smiled warmly.

"She's my youngest daughter, remember?" Robin said. "And this is my son Oliver."

"Of course I remember Oliver," Alfred chuckled. "My, my, how you have grown! I haven't seen you in years!"

It had only been a few days, but Oliver smiled and nodded, giving the man a hug. "Alfred, I found a mate!" he said. "I'm getting married! Well… kinda…" he added, thinking that the man would understand "getting married" better than anything else.

"What great news! We must have the wedding here, I'll get everything ready!"

"Yes, thank you Al, I'm sure it will be lovely," Oliver smiled, tears prickling his eyes. Alfred was in his nineties now and ten years ago he had suffered a stroke. The triplets remembered him before then, though, but the twins had only vague memories of the man outside his wheelchair. He had had the best care and recovered somewhat, but senility had set in as well. Of course he had stayed at the house, with a fleet of health care providers making sure he was comfortable, and he tended to think that he was still the butler sometimes. Ben even played along, to keep the old man happy. Oliver knew his mother had a hard time seeing the man like this, but still made sure to spend as much time with him every day as he could.

* * *

Oliver stared at the phone in his hand and then at the numbers on the note. And back again. How did this work again? How did the numbers get on the phone? His mind was just blank, and his heart was beating like crazy.

He took a deep breath and then dialed. Manually. He didn't trust his voice, though his phone had the latest voice recognition software and he could control it fully that way. Sometimes the old ways were the best.

It started ringing.

"Baskov-Stein residence," a dark voice answered.

"X-Xue?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver! I've been worried, are you in Gotham?"

"Yes, we just a arrived a little while ago, I thought I'd… you know… call and… say we did?"

"Thank you. I forgot to give you the number for my cell, I'll send you a text… what's yours?"

They exchanged numbers and then Oliver grasped for something to talk about, because he didn't want to hang up.

"I've read the book! It was great!"

"What, you already finished it?"

"I'm a fast reader, I did it in the car… there was a lot of traffic… You think we can go there someday?"

"How about after you graduate high school in spring? Before college?"

"Yes! It would be great to travel a bit then, I've heard many of my friends talk about doing that… can we go mountain climbing there too?"

They ended up talking for almost two hours straight before Oliver got the call that dinner was ready and reluctantly had to hang up. Xue said he had to work the next day, which was a Friday, but then he had cancelled the appointments he had after Christmas. There was still a lot of work he had to do to close down and move his practice, but fortunately he had only started small scale in the U.S so far and worked from home so he was sure he would be able to do it before going to Gotham.

* * *

"Father?" Oliver asked Slade during dinner, "Can you get Xue a practice close to our place? Maybe even in it?"

"We'll see when that time comes," Slade said, not wanting to make any promises in case this whole thing didn't work out, somehow.

"Now, now, if you get a cat, you have to take care of it," Bruce chuckled.

"Yes you do," Robin agreed and grinned naughtily at his mate.

"I'll make sure you have nothing to complain about tonight," the mercenary muttered.

"Oliver promised to baby sit, didn't you son?" Red added with a grin of his own.

"Ew, yes. Go be weird," the young man muttered.

"Can we do judo? Pleeeeeease?" Taylor asked his older brother.

"Yes, pleeeease?" his twin agreed.

"Pleeeease?" little Teagan copied.

"Sure, we'll go downstairs… but only for an hour, and you have to take a bath afterwards, no complaining," Oliver said sternly.

"You're going to be a good mom," Robin smiled at him, making his face go red. By now they all knew that he had a 'boyfriend' as Teagan put it, who was coming here in a few days.

"Will you read a story?" Teagan asked.

"Of course, before bed. Someone _always_ reads a story, you know that," Oliver smiled. Someone always _did_. He had grown up like that, and then there had been the twins, and now Teagan, so the bed-time story tradition never really stopped. Sometimes they all gathered to read. All the kids, once they developed the patience for longer stories without pictures, had been fond of old fairytales, the way they had been first written down; twisted, dark and bloodstained, and they now had a pretty large collection. For the moment Teagan had an obsession with a series of books about a mouse-family which lived in a boot, though.

* * *

Even though there was a lot to help out with around the house, as well as some holiday home work, time dragged its feet. Oliver had looked forward to the Wayne Industries Christmas party that Saturday, but now he just wanted the weekend to be over. Monday, the day Xue was supposed to arrive, was all that mattered.

"Have you seen my black bow tie?" Dominic asked as they were getting ready for the party.

"No… do we really have to dress up? Tuxes are just… aargh…" Oliver groaned, scratching his leg. Stupid, itchy dress pants.

"You look good in a tux, everyone does! I'll snap a pic of you and you can send it to Xue, okay?" his brother grinned. "I just have to find my tie."

"Well, you know who to ask," Oliver smiled back.

"I do. MOOOOOOM!" Dominic hollered.

"Yes, dear?" Robin called back.

"My tie?"

"In the zipper pocket of your suitcase!"

"Thank you!"

"See? What are you asking _me _for?" Oliver chuckled. "Is this thing on straight?"

"HE'S HERE! HE'S HERE!" Alexandra rushed in, in her long Christmas-green dress, looking like a million bucks, but her flushed cheeks rather ruined the image.

"Xue?!" Oliver gasped.

"No! Not _everything _revolves around you and 'your man'," Alexandra snorted. "Conner! I asked Grandpa if I could invite him, and I could! And he's here! And-"

"And does father know?" Dominic interrupted.

"I thought... surprise?" their sister mumbled.

"You better go down there and save his life," Oliver said.

"Will you help?"

"I don't want to die a virgin! Go!" the teen replied, seeing his brother nod in agreement.

When they next saw the girls she was holding Conner's arm and the young man had boldly stuck his hand out to greet Slade, after apparently doing the same to Bruce. The mercenary reluctantly took his hand and shook it quite firmly.

"Are you trying to crush my fingers, Sir?" the superhero asked after a while.

"Dad!" the woman on his arm objected.

"I wish I had some kryptonite," Slade muttered.

"Oh, I thought you had, because I really felt it," Conner said and shook fingers with a grimace.

"Did you just say that to suck up to me, boy?"

"No, Sir!" Conner didn't quite have Superman's gift of looking as innocent as a spring chicken, but he _tried._ After meeting that look for a moment, Slade guffawed and clapped a hand on the young hero's shoulder.

"I'll guess you have to do, if my daughter insists," he said, and the whole room seemed to exhale at once.

As they waited for their first official guests, Oliver sighed. This was going to be one boring party. And it was. But not for his brother…

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

A/N: so, from next chapter we're gonna jump back and forwards between Oliver and Dominic, instead of just Ollie. Originally this story was going to be just about Oliver, but a plot bunny bit me really late and… I was a bad writer and let it run away with me… ;)


	28. Happy New Life, part 3

A/N: I'm in hiding because I'm afraid people now hate me for what I did to Alfred. Well… I ALMOST killed him off instead! …although this might be worse…Not sure. Since I write this before even posting the second chapter I have no idea what your reactions were… hmmm… might stay away from the review page for a while…

* * *

**Happy New Life, part 3:**

**Check Mate**

Dominic took a deep breath and looked around. _Dang_, there were a lot of people here. Even some Ferocitas. More and more of his own kind had dared to come out in 'public' in the last seventeen years, and even though the whole ferocita community wasn't that big, it wasn't that uncommon that you saw a wagging tail or bright feathers when you were out in the city these days.

That was good, of course, and he knew his family had helped support several families, introducing them to the human world. Right now he would have felt more at ease with fewer people around, though. It wasn't that he was nervous per se, he just had a problem with small talk, and he had learned that not many wanted to talk business during the holiday.

Suddenly a smelled something came towards him from one of the rooms. A sweet, tantalizing smell, like perfume, but more… natural. He couldn't help himself; he walked closer, following it, and there, with a glass of champagne in her hand, stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Not only that, but she was a ferocita! A cat too! Her ears were positively _huge_, making her face look even more petite. Her blondish-brown hair was spotted and her striped tail was fairly short.

As he came closer, she seemed to smell him too and turned around fully to face him. Her golden brown eyes widened.

"H-hi," Dominic stuttered and thrust a hand out awkwardly. "I'm… I'm Dominic Wilson." by the end his voice was steadier, but her scent still made him heady.

"Hello," the woman smiled. She was older than him, but no more than a few years. Early twenties, he would have guessed, if he had had the brain capacity to do so right now.

"I'm Amy Martin."

"Amy… that's a beautiful name," Dominic smiled and kissed the hand that had found its way into his. He wanted to kiss the whole woman, though. Right now, right here.

"I… I think we need to go somewhere else," she said, like she had read his mind. She had a blush on her cheeks and, though she looked confident enough still evoked his alpha instincts to protect and provide for her. And mate. Especially mating.

"Dominic! There you are," Bruce said behind him.

The cat boy spun around and had to hold back a snarl, not wanting any other man even _close_ to his girl.

"Didn't mean to startle you," his grandfather apologized. "I wanted to introduce you to someone, and I see you already met his wife. Adrian! Over here!"

_Wife?!_ She couldn't be someone's _wife_, she was _his_! Dominic clenched his fists as people parted as someone walked towards them. His grandfather stepped to the side and then… then…

The man standing before him was positively_ huge_. Not only tall, because he was only an inch or two taller than Dominic, but he was _wide_. Not _fat_, really, but barrel-chested and… just… _big._ He was hairy too. He didn't have beard but a thick stubble that looked like it had grown out in just the last hour, and hair even stuck up over his tie. Even the top of his hands looked hairy, as he extended one towards the shocked boy. Dominic took it numbly, and only then noticed the round ears sticking up from rather coarse and shaggy dark brown hair. He wasn't a cat, he could smell that, but for a moment he couldn't place the scent… and then it hit him: bear! The reason he was confused though, and shocked, wasn't the man's size or looks, it was the other scent coming from him. The completely over powering one, that made Dominic want to-

"NO!" the teen snatched his hand back and turned on his heel. He had ran out of the room before the others had even blinked.

* * *

Oliver was almost knocked over in the process and walked up to his grandfather.

"What was that about?"

"I have no idea," Bruce said, his jaw almost hanging open. "Dominic never acts out like that, especially not around strangers…"

"I think I know," the woman said. "You see… we're… _compatible_."

"Oh…" Oliver blinked.

"And I'm her husband," a living wall rumbled. The cat boy had to crane his head back to meet brown, almost black, eyes.

"Oh."

"I see… so broken heart, then?" Bruce asked.

"No, I don't think it was because of _that_ he ran," Adrian rumbled.

"You have to go after him," Amy urged him.

"Don't worry, dear, I will," the huge man said, looking grim.

"Is… is my brother in trouble? I'm sure he didn't mean it if he hit on your wife, he has a boyfriend and a girlfriend, I don't think-" Oliver began defending his sibling.

"He has a pack?" the bear looked confused. "He didn't smell mated."

"They are humans, and he is their alpha but they haven't… I mean… shit, don't tell him I told you?"

"Like I thought. Take me to him. Right now."

* * *

Dominic slammed the door to his bedroom shut and leaned against it, breathing heavily. No. No, no, no! It couldn't be! No way! Not a chance! He had just been away from his mates too long, that was probably it! His hormones were acting up or something… the whole thing with Oliver had probably started it…

He ran over to the window and opened it, taking heavy breaths, trying to clear all those scents from his nose. He began pacing, his tail whipping back and forth, fighting an urge to run, to−

"Dominic, what the hell?" Oliver had thrown the door open, and behind him−

"No! No, get him away from me!" the black haired cat growled and backed away, straight into a wall.

"What are you- He's a _guest,_ he's not going to_ attack_ you, why-"

"Because," the bear said and strode into the room, over to the snarling young cat. "I'm his alpha."

"No, you're not!" Dominic yelled, just as his parents barged in.

"What's going on here?" Slade asked.

"Nothing that concerns you right now," the bear grunted and took another step forward.

"Don't come any closer! I'll hurt you! I'm not joking!"

"No you won't, pussy cat." The bear was completely calm, facing the snarling cat, and Dominic had every intention of showing him exactly what his parents had taught him when it came to taking down a large opponent… but then it seemed he forgot.

"I'm… I'm an alpha…" he stammered. "I… I… you can't do this…"

"You're not an alpha to_ me_, kid. Maybe to those humans your brother said you had back home, but not to me. Come here. Let me smell you properly."

"…No…" he said faintly, but had already taken the last few steps towards the man. Suddenly the beast's arms were around him, and he was pulled in close to the large, firm body. He had never been high, but Dominic imagined that it might feel like this. His head all but spun as he found himself burying his nose in the man's shirt, breathing him in. He felt the man bend down a little and do the same to his neck.

"Yes. Definitely our mate. No question," he heard the bear rumble.

"Seems like we have another son we won't have to get Christmas presents for from now on," Dominic heard Red mutter. That woke him up a little, and he pushed away from the bear.

"No! No, he's not! You're _not _my mate, just please… please _leave_!"

"I don't know who you are, but get away from my son!" Robin hissed, pushing his way between the two.

"Mom, tell him to go!" Dominic whined, feeling like six years old again, all but ducking behind his much smaller mother.

"I will, sweetie. Back off!" the hero growled.

"I didn't mean to cause any trouble, but my instincts… this boy is compatible to us!"

"What do you mean 'us'?" Slade asked.

"He means me." Amy pushed her way into the room and both Dominic and the bear turned towards her. She stepped forward and hugged her husband briefly before slowly moving towards Dominic like he was a frightened animal. That was pretty much what he felt like at the moment as well, but her scent made things better.

"Hold me?" she asked, looking up at him with those huge brown eyes, and he couldn't deny her, not even for a second.

"I think we all need an explanation here…" Red said. "Let's start with who the hell you people are."

"Yes, I apologize. Let's take a step back here," the bear agreed.

"_Way_ back," the former thief nodded.

"Let me make the introductions," Bruce, who had joined the party as well –the room was getting a bit crowded− said. "This is Adrian and Amy Martin, Adrian runs a blooming construction company that Wayne Enterprises has hired for a number of projects in Gotham for the coming five years. Adrian, Amy, this is my son Robin Wilson, and his mates Slade and Red. The boy you are trying to molest is one of my grandsons, Dominic."

"I wasn't trying to _molest_ him," Adrian objected. "I just got… excited. Sorry, wrong word! You see, Amy and I has been looking for someone, and we've never met anyone that smelled so right to both of us."

"I'm not right for you, only for her," the dark haired teen muttered, still holding the woman protectively in his arms.

"That's enough," the bear said sternly. "You know it is true, don't lie to yourself _or _your family."

"Dominic?"

The teen winced as his father just said his name in_ that_ way. The 'spill it, and don't even_ try_ to hide anything' way.

"Fine! He smells… he smells 'right', but something is fucked up, because I'm an alpha! You know I am!"

"Well, we don't _know_, exactly, sweetie," Robin said calmly. "Yes, you are the biggest one of your siblings, but that doesn't automatically mean…"

"I am!" Dominic drew a deep breath. "Maybe the pheromone-thing got mixed up somehow… like I said, I'm an alpha., like my father. I won't bottom."

"What does_ that_ have to do with anything?" Adrian snorted. "Sure, in ferocita male-male relationships many alphas are exclusive tops, maybe your father here is, but not _always_. Besides, I met your sister and her boyfriend downstairs. She's an alpha, clear as day."

"_Alexandra _is an alpha?" Dominic's jaw dropped.

"Women _can_ be, you know," Amy said pointedly.

"Don't tell me you are one too? the boy groaned.

"Hah, no, I'll happily submit to you," she said the last bit in a purr, which almost made the teen fall over. "But only if you submit to my husband, of course," she added, sobering him up.

"No."

"Oh." She began to pull away, looking sad, and he didn't want to let her.

"But… but… he's not even a _cat_!" Dominic tried to reason with her. He got a vicious snarl in reply.

"So you're one of _them_?! Then good riddance! Adrian, we're leaving!"

"Wait, _what_?" the teen said, dumfounded.

"I think you misunderstood him, he's not.. a speciest," Robin hurriedly said, standing in their way.

"A what?" Dominic blinked.

"They didn't grow up in a ferocita community, and neither did I, so there's a lot of things we haven't been exposed to," his mother continued. "A 'speciest' is someone who doesn't believe that different kinds of Ferocitas should mix. Ever. They usually don't like us mixing with humans either."

"I…" Oliver was the one to speak up now, carefully. "I'm very sorry, and I do not intend to offend anyone, really I don't, but I didn't even _know_ we...you know… _could _mix. All the couples I know are cat-cat or dog-dog and so on… at least within the same family tree…?"

"I apologize, then, as you didn't know," Amy said, turning to Dominic, but her voice was still a little stiff.

"No, _I'm_ sorry!" Dom insisted. "I didn't mean it, it's just… he's a_ bear_! I don't understand how he can even smell so- so…"

"Yes?" Adrian grinned, but only got a glare in return.

"It happens sometimes, and yes, we _can_… mix." Amy explained. "The pure bred community doesn't like it and sometimes, like with us... we're having trouble getting pregnant."

"We've been trying for two years. It's too soon to give up yet, but we noticed that we started sending out mating signals again. We've met a few people, but, like I said; we haven't met one that we both responded so completely to…" the bear explained. "Until now," he added and gave Dominic a long and look, full of what seemed to be longing.

"Wait, you… you want someone to… to… um…"

"Most likely be the biological father, yes."

"I can do that!" As his parents gave him amused looks, Dominic blushed. "I… I mean… I could just… with _you_," he said and turned to Amy, "and I'm bi, so I won't mind… you know… doing stuff with him either, but I won't have to bottom, right?"

"That… would be difficult. We want a true threesome, a true, close knitted family of three parents. You, if anyone, should understand as you were raised by a unit like that," Adrian said carefully. "And my instincts… they want you. And you want me, I can smell it. And we need to mate, all three of us, to bond."

"But I'm not a carrier! I shouldn't have to bottom! That's not who I am!"

"How do you know?" Oliver snorted. "You haven't even- oh-oh."

"Ollie!"

"Well, you sound like you think bottoming is bad or something!" Oliver objected.

"It is if you don't _want_ to!"

"Well, duh… that's rape," Red snorted. "But seriously, kid, I can't feel all those scents and stuff the guy is talking about, but if it's true what he says and you _do_ want to bottom, then what's the big deal?"

"It's not who I am," the teen repeated stubbornly.

"It won't change who you are," Robin told him. "Godammit, Slade, he gets this stupid fear from you, _say_ something!"

"I'm not _afraid_," the man snorted. "But son, it won't make you any less of a man, just like Alexandra being an alpha doesn't make _her _less of a woman."

"But you won't bottom, will you?" Dominic muttered.

"I have no idea how you even know –or_ think_ you know− what we do in the bedroom," Slade snorted. The two teens glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. Their parents did their best to be –_somewhat−_ proper in front of them, but there had been slip us, and doors opening unexpectedly… and they all had good hearing. "But," his father continued, "my personal preferences are just that; my own. It has to do with how I grew up, what I went through as a teen, and…. and your mother will love that I have to admit this, but… I have some control issues."

"Yes!" Robin whispered and pumped his fist in the air.

"That being said…. your mother and dad are not the 'women' here, they are just as much men as I am, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Being top, bottom or versatile is only a preference, it has nothing to do with gender or status." The teen had crossed his arms, though, and the mercenary sighed. "You have the same look on your face your mom gets sometimes, meaning it's useless to talk about this anymore. Adrian, Amy, I would like to invite you back tomorrow so you three can talk it out after he had had a chance to digest all this a bit."

"Yes, we both understand it must have been a bit of a shock," Adrian nodded and then walked up to Dominic, placing a hand on his shoulder in a friendly way. "I shouldn't have rushed in here after you, cornering you like that. I apologize."

Having the man so close again, made the teen's voice a bit shaky as he answered. "It's… it's okay… no harm done."

Amy came up to them as well and kissed his cheek. "I can't wait to see you again, Dominic," she said, eyelashes fluttering.

"Amy, that's a dirty trick, don't do that to the boy," Adrian rumbled good-naturedly.

"I'm sorry," the woman took a step back and gave the teen a cheeky grin, which he couldn't help but return.

"Let's all return to the party before we're too missed, shall we?" Bruce suggested, and gestured for them all to leave the room. As they filed out, Dominic couldn't help that his eyes followed every movement of the Martin's bodies. Both of them. He made a little sound in his throat, which had Adrian turn back and give him one of those longing looks again, and the teen had to stop himself from just running into his arms.

He swore to himself as he began following the others.

"I think it's best if you stay in your room," his mother told him, putting a hand on his arm to stop him from leaving.

"But-"

"Just think things over a bit, son," Slade nodded.

"Wait… I'm _grounded_? I'm sent to my room because I don't want to bottom?!" Dominic gaped.

"Of course not, we just think you need some peace and quiet. If you honestly think that you can go down there and be pleasant, polite and represent this family well, then by all means go," his father told him.

Dominic sighed and lowered his head. Parents were so damn annoying when they were right!

* * *

"Where's Amy?" Dominic asked defensively. It was the next day and he had just entered a small sitting room where Adrian was waiting. He was alone, as his parents had thought that would be for the best for now.

"She'll be by later. She thought it would be better if it was just you and me for a while… less… distractions."

"Okay." Dominic sat down in an arm chair and nodded to the one opposite. The bear smiled and took a seat as well. "So… what do you want to talk about?" the teen asked.

"How about we get to know each other. Some basics? Amy is a Serval, I don't know f you knew? I'm a Grizzly. We're both from Canada originally. You're a house cat?"

"Yup. Half that and half meta human," Dom nodded. "And we're not exactly a traditional ferocita family," he added, trying to put the man off. He knew how some reacted when they found out that they didn't follow the old ways.

"We're not either. We've been shunned by many since we met, and even before that, my family hadn't been part of the community for generations. I come from a line of lumberjacks."

"Heh," Dominic chuckled. "That's almost cliché… where's your red, plaid shirt?"

"I have a few of those," the man chuckled as well. the sound was deep and warm and made the teen want to cuddle up next to him and purr. He had to shake his head a bit to clear it, before the man continued. "I was more interested in building, though, so I started early in that business, and here I am. Two hundred employees, and a line of contractors."

"You worked in the human world back then too?"

"Yup. Not much of a problem hiding these," he said and pointed to his ears, which didn't rise that far above his hair. "And a pair of baggy jeans and no one can see my tail either. Amy would have had it worse, poor girl, but thanks to your family, and those brave enough to follow your example, she doesn't have to hide anymore."

"How… how old are you two?"

"Amy's twenty-two, I'm thirty five. Bit of an age gap there, I know, but we bears mature late and live long… and when it's right, it's right…" he added and gave the teen a meaningful look. "If you agree to be part of our family though, but want to wait until you're a bit older to have children, we understand."

"I'm not a kid," Dominic snorted. "But _having_ kids…"

"It's a scary thought?"

"It's _inconvenient,_ if nothing else," the teen shrugged. "I'm in school, I'm going to university in the fall, then I hope to get a position at Wayne industries, and-"

"Career all planned out, huh? Where are you going to college?"

"Here in Gotham. They have one of the best business programs and I can use my connections here for my schoolwork."

"Well, we live here now too, so that's convenient… I mean, if…" the bear coughed. "Like I said, if we mate that doesn't mean we have to have children right away, although when Amy's in heat…" the man coughed again and looked away. "Still, we can wait. And if not, we'll all make sure they won't disturb your plans-"

"I don't want my kids to be kept out of my way so they won't be a _nuisance,"_ Dominic snorted. "I want to be a real dad!"

"You're a good man. I hoped you'd say that."

"Wait, we're talking about this like it's a done deal! It's not. I'm not.. comfortable with what you're… asking of me."

"And you don't mean the part about you probably being the biological father, do you?" Adrian sighed. "I see… so the two of us making love… it's a deal breaker then? An _absolute _deal breaker?"

Dominic wanted to look the man in the eyes and say 'yes'. He had planned to do that, all night, in all the scenarios he imagined. Well… _almost_ all. There were a few, just when he was about to fall asleep, which… never mind. "I… don't know," he said instead.

"Well, that's better than a 'no'."

"It's just that… whenever I thought about… you know… I never pictured myself…"

"We'll go slow."

"I'm not sure that will help."

"I'll be gentle. I mean, I'm a big guy, but I'll be gentle."

"That _really_ didn't help," Dominic snorted, but burst out in a chuckle when he saw that the bear had a teasing grin on his furry face. "You're so damn _hairy_!" he added randomly.

"Didn't have any luck growing a beard, did you?" the other teased him.

"Hey, I can if I want to! It's just… a bit patchy. But I get a great five-o'clock shadow! Sure, it takes a few days, but…"

"Give it a few years," the other smiled.

"You think? I always wanted a beard like my father…" Dominic said thoughtfully and stroked his shin.

"It will come in, I didn't really start getting hairy until I was about your age. My brothers used to tease me all the time."

"Do you have a big family?"

"Fairly. We're close, though we're spread far and wide. With today's technology it's easy to stay in touch, though. Every summer we gather for a family reunion. Lots of grilled meat, beer and games. It's fun."

"Games?"

"Ah, we lumberjacks have quite a few nice old ones."

"Like tossing logs and stuff?"

"That's right! I hope you'll be there with us next year," the man said and then raised his hands. "Sorry, I'm being pushy. I was ordered not to be pushy."

"Amy?"

"Yup. She's better at this, but, well…"

"What?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you, you might run away screaming."

"Only if what you're about to tell me is that she has a ten inch strap on," Dominic deadpanned.

The bear burst out laughing. "Maybe you're tougher than I thought, eh? Fine… pheromones are quite… strong. She was afraid that they alone could compel you to go to bed with us, and then you'd regret it… and it would be too late; we would already have bonded."

"Do bonded couples always stay together, though? Can't they… um… divorce?" the teen didn't have any ferocita friends he saw regularly and he had never asked questions like these before. His parents might not know either, he realized.

"It happens, but very seldom… it's not like marriage or love, it's stronger than both, even with humans, but the bond is usually weaker between a human and a ferocita… depends on how sensitive the human is."

"So… what? I would be _unable_ to just leave you?" Dominic blinked.

"No, of course not, even mates have to be able to be apart, but it's possible that you might no longer find anyone else attractive, even grow impotent, and unless you know you are going to see each other again, your instincts will scream at you that you are at the wrong place, with the wrong people."

"I already have a boyfriend and a girlfriend," the younger man sighed.

"But you will never bond with them."

"How do you know?"

"You wouldn't smell… as available," the man shrugged. "If you had already bonded you wouldn't smell available at all. Your brother, for example, he told me about his mate last night, at the party, and he's not bonded yet but I could already smell it on him… his body is signaling to everyone else to stay away."

"So he stinks? I can't_ wait_ to tell him that," Dominic grinned.

"Thankfully it's a bit more… subtle, than that."

They chuckled and then the teen searched his mind for something to say, something that would count as 'getting to know each other' but be a bit 'safer' than the previous subjects. "Soo... your company… I looked it up last night, you've really grown lately."

"Yeah, we're hitting the bigger clients now, and landing Wayne industries was a huge deal."

"So how are you planning to make the best of your expansion? What are you investing in? What costs are you trying to keep down?"

The man smiled like he knew what the teen was doing, but he could also sense real interest from him, and he was happy to talk about his firm, which was his pride and joy. Dominic got more and more engrossed and relaxed in the bear's company, and felt disappointed when the man checked his watch.

"It's almost noon. Amy and I wanted to know if you would like to go out for lunch with us? We'll be in public and you can take your own car if you want… just so the three of us can talk a bit as well?"

After a brief hesitation Dominic nodded. After all, he wanted to see Amy again…

* * *

Oliver's eyes widened when he saw his brother leave with the Martins. He had just called a truce in a fierce snow ball fight with the twins and was brushing off the snow from his clothes when they passed him. Robin was seeing them out so Oliver turned to his mother as soon as the door closed.

"Um... so you're letting them take him, or what?"

"I think we can trust them a bit further than that," Robin smiled.

"Absolutely sure?"

"Slade is having them tracked."

"Ah. Makes me feel better," the teen grinned. "The terrible two are building a fort, by the way, good luck getting them in before they turn blue."

"They have some excess energy to burn, might as well let them…" the older cat sighed. "And speaking about burning energy… let's go somewhere and talk, alright?"

"Is this going to be about Xue?" Oliver groaned.

"Of course it is. I have a few things for you," his mother grinned and led him to his room where he picked up a small plastic bag from a drugstore and handed it over.

Oliver, filled with dread, peeked inside. It was as bad as he thought.

"Mooom!"

"You'll thank me if things gets… heated." he said sternly. "Trust me, you'll need good lube and this is the best. I bought small packets you can keep in your pocket as well as a big one. And condoms. You might not be able to get pregnant if you're not in heat, but that doesn't mean you can't get an STD."

"Um, he hasn't actually… um… been with anyone. Do we still need to use them?"

"Not if you really trust he hasn't. Have you been speaking on the phone?"

"Yeah… a lot." Oliver nodded happily. He had only survived the party by texting with him and they talked at least a few times a day, often for well over an hour. Things had gotten a bit… personal at a few points, and Xue had told him that he was a virgin as well. "He knew it was me, even back then… he was only six, but he knew. He has an_ incredible _sense of smell, he even uses it in his work, and he's honed it since he was little. He said he could smell if someone was coming down with a cold, but I _think _he was kidding… I think that's how he knew, but it doesn't matter… anyway, because he thought he'd already found his mate, he didn't care much about dating, growing up, he already knew he'd see me again. Annie kept your name and number you gave them when he gave me his toy and he told me that if he hadn't been able to find me at the show, he would track me down. He felt he was settled enough to do that now."

"He's quite intense, isn't he?"

"Yeah… he believes really strongly that we were meant to be together, and in fate."

"I understand. But remember; there are no such things as soul mates… like I said, you don't owe him anything. If you feel pressured, tell him to back off or come to us, okay?" His mother asked worriedly.

"Honestly, I just want to jump him," Oliver grinned cheekily.

"Then do that," his mother laughed. "I have a good feeling about the young man."

"Me too… but... mom?" the teen's ears sank a bit and he looked ashamed of himself. "Please don't be angry, but… I almost didn't take my pill last night… I mean I _did_ take it, I _did_, but I didn't _want_ to…"

"Oh, sweetie…" Robin sighed and pulled him close in a hug. "It's your hormones telling you that you want a baby, and your brain telling you it's too soon. You should wait, your life will be easier if you do, but no one will be angry at you if something should happen, okay? During my first heat I desperately wanted children, and back then we didn't even know I _could _get pregnant… it was very weird."

"I want to go to school and get a job and…"

"Yes, and try to keep that in mind, at least every night when you take your pill, okay? Besides, I think it will get better after you mated: I think that's what your instincts_ truly_ want right now… it just thinks that babies should be a result of that."

"Oh, okay. I hope it goes away, then," Oliver smiled.

"I'm sure it will, and if not we'll help out as much as we can, okay? You two won't be alone."

"Thank you," Oliver dived in for another hug. "I love you."

"I love you too. If you want I can tell you how it was to give birth to you guys and maybe that will put you off?"

"I think that will put me off sex completely," Oliver snorted.

"You're right. I'll save it for when you're pregnant," Robin smiled wickedly.

* * *

Dominic found that he enjoyed himself in the company of the Martins. They were both very careful about not pressuring him, and the food at the restaurant was exquisite, even though it was just lunch. They shared several small dishes, jokingly arguing about which the best one was.

Eventually the conversation did move on to less safe subjects, like family and children. The Martins admitted that there was a risk Amy would carry multiples, especially with Dominic's domestic cat genes added to the mix. Apparently both the serval and bears were prone to getting twins, so they had expected to have more than one child anyway. They talked about values; how they believed children should be raised, how mates should behave, how life in general should be led, and the teen found that their opinions matched his; as they had been living a bit like outcasts from the community themselves, they didn't give much credit to the idea of 'owners' and auctioning their offspring away.

"Although it would be great if your parents did, because we would _so_ have bid on you," Amy grinned.

"A lot?" Dominic couldn't help but grin. Honestly he felt like he was channeling Oliver around these two, they really made him smile and prattle on quite a bit.

"All we could," Adrian said seriously, and Amy took his hand, giving him a loving smile. The teen felt a stab of jealousy, he wanted her to smile like that at him too! And then she did. They both did, until the bear broke the spell by suddenly frowning and shaking his head.

"Sorry, Dominic, I think we might have gone too far again… here's the deal, though: if you decline us we will of course accept that. It will be a tough couple of days for all of us, as our instincts will try to get us together, and after that it's very important that we don't meet again, until you have found a mate."

"We… can't see each other at all?" Dominic did _not_ like that.

"It will only make the instincts come back, and breaking this… pre-bonding state is hard enough as it is. Both of us have been through it, because as we said; we've found potential mates, just not someone who really fit us_ both_." Amy explained.

"Brian is still an option…" the bear mumbled quietly.

"You felt _nothing_ for him!" Amy objected.

"I know, but _you_ did… maybe… maybe it will work out. I know we dreamed of having someone we could both love, but…"

They both looked miserable and Dominic swallowed.

"I… I will have to break up with Mike and Kat…" he sighed.

"Dominic, are you… are you saying…?" Adrian breathed.

"Yes. I'm saying yes." The teen nodded decisively. He took his time to make up his mind, sometimes, he liked to think things over carefully, but once he had decided something he stood by it. "But on one condition: children just has to wait. Also, I have one term left of high school and I don't think switching schools right now is a good idea… so I need to be in Jump until summer, apart from breaks and long weekends. My sister's dating Super Boy, I think I could ask him for a favor and fly me here quickly now and then, but… it's going to be tough…"

"Adrian and I are used to being apart when he has to work far away," Amy said softly. "And I could stay in Jump with you during those times at least… or when it's very busy so he's barely home anyway," she added and gave the man a teasing smirk.

"Not only do you hog the blankets, you're going to hog our mate too?" her husband sighed. "But Dom, are you sure? Because you know what it means…?"

"Yeah, I'm… not very happy about that, but I'm... getting used to the thought. It was just so alien to me, you know?"

"We understand. If no one wants dessert, maybe we should go back and talk to your parents?" Adrian said. "I don't want it to seem like we're kidnapping you."

"No, you really, really don't…" Dominic half chuckled, half muttered.

* * *

_To be continued…_

A/N: what's your opinion? Would it be great to just "know" that you are compatible with someone or would that be scary as hell? I'm not sure myself…


	29. Happy New Life, part 4

**A/N: **Oliver gets to see Xue again, and stuff. Don't ask me. Read.

* * *

**Happy New Life, part 4:**

**Tales and Tails **

"Oliver is texting! Oliver is texting!" Taylor called out.

"Tay!" Oliver groaned as his parents –well, two of them, his dad was never much for rules, not if they were boring− looked pointedly at him. "I wasn't! I was just_ reading_."

"No phones at the table," Robin said sternly.

"But it's from Xue, and-"

"And it can wait," his father said.

"Yes, Sir," Oliver sighed and pocketed the phone.

"What did it say?" Taylor wanted to know.

"I'm not gonna tell you _now_, am I?" Oliver snorted.

"I wasn't asking _you_," the boy sniffed and looked across the table at his twin, who was sitting next to Ollie.

"'Thinking about you. Can't wait. XOXO.'" the other boy read, to Oliver's horror.

"Give me back my phone! How did you-?"

"Dad taught me," the little beast grinned.

"What can I say, the kid has a knack for pick-pocketing," Red shrugged, when disapproving looks were turned on him instead.

"Braden, give Oliver back his phone right now, and I'm appalled at the behavior of all of you, we have _guests_," Robin hissed, like those guests wouldn't be able to hear him, and gestured to the Martins.

It was dinnertime, and as the two families had spent the whole afternoon talking, it only made sense to invite them to stay for dinner.

Conner had stayed the night –although Slade hadn't been informed until after-the-fact− but had left now to go back to his team, making Alexandra a bit sad and quiet. She looked up now, though, and gave Oliver a small, comforting smile, and rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we should just get it over with and give all our sons away this Christmas? How about it?" Red asked Adrian. "Three for one deal?"

"I think I have to decline," the man chuckled.

"Ewww! Dad, he's _old_! Besides, we're never gonna get mated, we're gonna be astronauts!" Taylor said.

"Yeah, we won't have time, because we'll be in space," Braden agreed.

"I want to marry daddy!" Teagan exclaimed and hugged Slade's arm.

"She's that age. They are all 'that age'," Robin sighed. "There always seems to be a phase or three they are going through…" he added darkly.

"Mom, you can live with us too!" Teagan pronounced generously.

"What about me?" Red asked and pulled out the puppy dog eyes.

"If we have pizza night all the time?" the girl bartered.

"Fine, if that's the price I have to pay…" the thief sighed.

"Your family is lovely," Oliver overheard Amy whisper to Dominic. Inwardly he was filling with dread himself. The Martins might think that this chaos was charming, but what would _Xue_ say?

* * *

"Would you like to spend the night at our place?"

Adrian's question made Dominic's heart race. They were alone in the hallway at the moment and the man's scent and dominant air had only grown once he had agreed to mate with them.

"I… I…"

"You don't have to." It was visibly difficult for the bear to back down, but he did.

"I… I just have to make a call… I can't do anything before I've ended it with the others, it's not right."

"You are such a good young man," the bear hummed approvingly, and suddenly he kissed him. It was only a short peck on the lips, but it made the teen long for more, desperately.

He rushed upstairs and met a rapidly texting Oliver in the hallway.

"How do you break up with someone?" he asked.

"I don't know, I never have." his older brother replied. His phone buzzed and judging by the blushing his cheeks as he read the message it was something good. "What, wait," he blinked looking up at Dominic again. "You're breaking up with Mike and Kat? Right now? Why?"

"Because I'm… umm… spending the night at the Martins," Dominic admitted.

"That's not fair!"

"Why?"

"Because now I'll be the last one after all!" Oliver groaned, looking grumpy.

"Hey, maybe I'll have time to tell you all about it?" his brother grinned.

"Did mom give you lube?"

"What? NO! Wait, I would need some… but they must have, right? Although they might not need it and- oh, thanks." His brother had just pressed a few small packets into his hands.

"Mom got me a whole bag…" he muttered with a shrug.

"Thanks, bro! Now I really have to call them, though… fuck… what do I say?"

"Well, breaking up over the phone won't give you many points anyway… but it's better than texting, I guess."

"I'm also doing it right before Christmas. I'm an asshole," the black haired teen groaned.

"Hey, just tell them you found your soul mates, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"But that's not true! There _are _no soul mates and I could have said no…"

"I'm not so sure any of that is true anymore, but_ they_ don't know that! And they are humans, I'm sure they will buy it… and it might make them feel better."

"I'm glad we never slept together…" Dominic sighed.

"I'm glad I didn't buy them Christmas presents."

"Ollie!"

"What? Talk about waste of allowance money…" he deadpanned. "Speaking of which I never actually finished my shopping at the show… I need to hit the town tomorrow," he muttered.

"Blah-blah, I need to break up with people. Switch?"

"Um, no," Oliver's phone buzzed again.

"Are you two sexting?"

"No!"

"You _are_, aren't you? Can I see?"

"Go break up with your humans!" Oliver growled, hugging his phone to his chest.

"Fine. Tell him what you're wearing, I think that's how you're supposed to do that,"

Dominic sighed as he sat down to set up a group video chat, hoping his unsuspecting exes would both be available.

* * *

"Oliver?"

"Yes, what is it _now_?!" Damn, couldn't he get a bit of peace and quiet when he tried to be naughty over the phone? He had even hidden away in one of the less used sitting rooms, as his room was where anyone would be looking for him first.

"This thing froze again," his dad said, tapping his GoogleGlass 4.0.

"What did you do now?" Oliver sighed and reached for it. "See, you deactivated it! I've shown you how this works before!"

"Hey, young man, I taught _you_ how to use the potty!" Red snorted, "And when you forgot _that _skill, things got a _lot_ messier."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Nervous about tomorrow?"

"Like I'm about to die, so yes, a tiny bit," Oliver groaned.

"It will be alright. When will he get here?"

"They will leave before dawn to beat the traffic and be here in the morning."

"Good, then you won't have to wait the whole day, anyway. Why don't you show him Gotham, have lunch in the city, and… you know… talk?"

"In a public place, huh? So we can't get up to something?"

"Pfft, that never stopped me, Slade and your mom, from-"

"Don't need to know!"

"I guess you'll find out."

"No way I will. Not while Christmas shopping."

"I've been surprised a few times myself…" Red chuckled, but then coughed and donned what his children had dubbed his 'trying-to-be-serious' face. "Joke's aside, son… while your mother seems perfectly content with his kids getting nasty all over the place, and while sex can be great, and fun and exciting… don't feel pressured into anything, okay?"

"I won't dad, it's just…" Oliver made a vague gesture, but his father picked up the meaning behind it.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm not a ferocita, I can't really understand the whole instinct thing… I mean, you and Xue… and Dominic and the Martins.. .you don't even _know_ each other, and still you are ready to spend your whole lives together? It kinda freaks me out…"

"Um, sorry… it just feels right." Oliver shrugged. "It feels like I've known him forever and just forgotten about the details… does it make any sense? And then there's this sense of belonging and feeling safe and… _home_… do you understand?"

"I'm trying to… but Slade is better at that, he has enhanced senses after all… he picks up on it more… but poor me is just a little plain human."

"Who happened to be the best thief in the world, back in the day," Oliver grinned. He loved his dad's stories, and he had a lot of them.

"…'Back in the day'… you made me feel so old. I can't believe that you guys were already on your way when I was seventeen…"

"Was that… I mean… did it change a lot?"

"It changed _everything_. Every aspect of absolutely everything."

"Sorry."

"Did I say it was for the _worse_?" His dad grinned. "Well… I am happy that the diaper thing is mainly over now; Teagan barely has any accidents at night anymore."

"Um… right. Thanks for the info. I'll go congratulate her, then?"

"I'd tell you to watch that lip, but I know who you got it from, so…" his dad muttered. "So, are you busy?"

Oliver's phone vibrated and the teen's cheeks heated up.

"You're busy," Red stated. "See you later, then. Make sure to get to bed at a decent hour; Xue needs to be well rested in case he's driving tomorrow, you know. Don't keep him up."

"Shit, you're right, dad!" Oliver blinked, and instantly started typing. "I've got to get him into bed."

"I don't think you'll have a problem with _that_…" his father chuckled and left the room.

* * *

"So… this is our place," Amy said in the slightly nervous manner of someone who was inviting a friend over for the first time.

"It's really nice!" Dominic said. The furniture and décor would have looked more at home in a log cabin than in a modern Gotham apartment, but all the wood made it cozy. One wall was covered with old logging instruments, including a huge saw. There was also a pair of snow shoes up there that looked like they easily could have been from the civil war, and he had a feeling the tools were older. It was a nice reminder of humbler backgrounds, and the teen liked that.

"Let me take your jacket," Amy offered next.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure, thank you. I was just fascinated by all these things," Dominic said and gestured to the wall. He noticed that his hosts had kicked off their shoes and did the same. There were a lot of rugs on the floor, and he could understand that they didn't want snow and mud all over those.

"Most of them has been in my family for generations," Adrian told him. "But if I find something good at flea markets and the like, I tend to pick it up."

"Yeah, it looks awesome. Although if I haven't known about your background I might have thought it was a torture wall," the teen grinned.

The bear chuckled and causally threw an arm around him. Dominic tensed for a moment before he let himself breathe in the man's scent, and turned his body into it.

"I'm so glad you're here," the man rumbled.

"Me too," Amy smiled and came into their little huddle, standing on tip toes to kiss her husband. Then she turned to Dominic and kissed him as well. It was a long kiss, growing more intense by the second, until Adrian's voice filtered in through the haze Dominic was in.

"Hey, you're making me jealous."

The teen drew back, ready to apologize. She was_ his_ wife, after all, but the one the bear seemed to want to kiss was him, because the next moment the man's tongue invaded his mouth like it had all the rights to it in the world… which it more or less had, Dominic thought.

"I didn't want to ask, but… how did the break up go?" Amy cut in as the men needed to take a breath.

"It was… weird. I thought they would be more sad, but they seemed angry… or… annoyed. I don't know…" The teen found it hard to think back, his world had shifted focus completely, and he was growing hornier by the second. "I think that maybe… I was more of a novelty to them."

"Aw, poor kitten…" the man sighed and pulled him close. "Ready to forget everything about them?"

The strange thing was that he was. Completely. There was no hesitation, no fear, no worry. He wanted them both, he _needed _them both, and he needed them_ now_.

"I bet you have really interesting wall art in your bedroom…" he nodded and grinned.

The couple chuckled, took him by his hands, and led him there to see for himself.

Afterwards there weren't many details Dominic remembered clearly. Adrian was so big, hairy and hard, Amy small, soft, and wet. Both smelled amazing. He recalled a small amount of pain and discomfort, a huge body moving on top of him, pushing him down, keeping him still… and he only wanted more of it. His body was marked by teeth and nails through the bonding, but he gave as good as he got.

He had _some _experience, he and his former partners had gotten pretty far, but that, he realized, was nothing. It was nothing because they weren't the right ones, they weren't his mates… Amy and Adrian were. He wanted them over and over, and whined when Adrian's cock wasn't inside him, as much as he wanted his own inside Amy's tight, wet heat. Eventually they all fell asleep and when he opened his eyes again just a couple of hours later he was hungry. And still horny. He smiled lazily as he spotted the serval smiling back at him. When he reached out or her, though, she pulled back.

"Sorry, love, but last night was intense, and you're… quite big. I'm going to sit this one out. I'm fixing something to eat… it's almost lunchtime."

Dominic nodded at the prospect of food, but then turned over and climbed on top of the bear instead.

"I feel like you fucked and sucked every drop out of my balls…" the man grunted, but didn't push him away.

"One more time?" Dominic begged and reached behind himself. The bear might complain, but he was hard, and the teen was going to take advantage. He grabbed the man's cock and steadied it as he sank down on it. At the last moment he realized that he had forgotten about lube, but they were both still slick from all the excess lube since their last romp that it didn't matter . He sank down on the stiff rod wondering why he had ever hesitated about doing something like this.

"I want to stay with you again tonight," he gasped as he rode the man.

"You think we'll survive that?" Adrian grinned. "But of course. This is your home now, as much as ours. But you should call your family to let them know, of course." He stopped the teen reaching for his cell on the bedside table. "I don't think _now_ is an appropriate time, though."

"After?" Dominic breathed. He didn't care, he was still feeling the rush of bonding.

"After." The man nodded.

"Works for me," the teen moaned and started moving faster.

* * *

They ate in bed; wonderful sub sandwiches with lots of meat and cheese.

"Last night was… really intense," Amy eventually said.

"You okay?" Dominic asked worriedly, as it had just registered with him that she had hinted that she was sore.

"Yes, yes, I'm more worried about _you_," she smiled. "The mating got… out of control there, I think. I thought it was crazy when Adrian and I bonded, but this… this was…"

"Fantastic," the teen grinned.

"Are you sure you are fine, though?" the bear asked. He reached out with a large hand and buried it in the teen's hair, scratching him behind his ear.

Dominic wriggled a bit, clenched his ass, expecting to feel a spike of pain, but the slight burning sensation more like tingled. He made a face. "No, I'm not fine."

"What's wrong?" his alpha was immodestly on high alert, and the cat boy grinned.

"I'm horny."

"Dear god… we_ had_ to bond with a teen, didn't we? You'll kill us all!" Amy laughed, and then clamped a hand on her husband's shoulder. "I'm counting on you to deal with this again. I'll be in the bath."

"You're not even going to help?" Adrian complained.

"He's all yours."

"Yup," Dominic leered as he put his plate aside and climbed into the bears lap once more. "I'm all yours…"

* * *

"Xue!" The long conversations and the −somewhat− naughty texting they had been doing, made Oliver feel like he now knew his future mate and, as he wasn't usually very shy, he didn't hesitate now; he ran down the steps and threw himself into the other's arms. In fact he jumped up, winding both his arms and legs around the man, and kissed him silly. Xue returned the affection just as passionately, until he suddenly froze completely, and Oliver was pretty sure he even heard a small whine. The teen followed the leopard's gaze and spotted his parents.

"Don't worry about them, they don't bite," he grinned.

"You wouldn't know anything about that, young man," his dad sniffed.

"Welcome," Slade told him with a smirk. "Where is Annie, I thought she would be coming as well?"

"She decided to travel to Chicago to my mother's house to see what needs to be done there, Sir," the leopard said. "She thought that… um…"

"Yes?"

"Well… that if you are going to be my owner, we both needed a… trial run."

"I can't imagine you being that hard to handle, young man," the mercenary snorted.

"Depends on who is going to get used to who…" Robin snickered. "Welcome Xue, you'll meet everyone else later, let's get you settled in your room first? And then, if you're not too tired, I think Oliver wanted to show you Gotham."

Xue nodded but looked slightly worried. Oliver didn't understand why until they were actually standing on the main shopping street of the city, where Benjamin had dropped them off.

"What's wrong, you look like you want to climb a lamp post?" he asked gently, taking the man's hand.

"There's just… so many people. _Humans_." The snow leopard's eyes kept flitting around and he moved like he wanted to protect Oliver from a multitude of perceived threats.

"They don't care, they are used to people like us. The worst you'll get is maybe a kid pointing or someone taking your picture," Oliver shrugged.

"Awwww!" two passers-by said. "Look at the cute cats!"

"Oh, yeah, and that," the teen nodded. "And you might want to keep that long tail of yours up so no one steps on it."

"Humans aren't generally accepting of those who are different," the man muttered, but seemed to relax a tiny bit.

"That's true, and there are assholes out there too, sure, but it's not bad enough so that we have to hide away."

Xue didn't look like he fully agreed.

"Come on, let's go shopping. Have you gotten Annie anything for Christmas?"

"We haven't celebrated in many years. The winter solstice, the Dongzhi Festival, was the day before yesterday, we celebrated then."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know… will… will you be okay with the Christmas stuff this year, though?"

"Of course. I remember it from when I was little. Annie tried to keep it up for a few years after we moved, but it was just easier to celebrate with my father and the other villagers."

"So, this…Dong-thing? Is that like Christmas?"

" Dongzhi. And it's more like Thanksgiving, actually, if you could compare it."

"I see… hey, maybe I can use this to get more days off school…?"

"Opportunist."

"I'd spend them with you?"

"Then I'll be glad to help," the leopard chuckled. "OW! Ma de!"

"I_ told_ you to keep your tail up," Oliver chuckled and grabbed it. It was so thick and fluffy compared to his own, and several inches longer. He blushed when his dirty mind wondered what else might be thicker and longer than his own, but shook the thought away. There was a time and a place for everything. "Was that a swear word by the way?"

"I'm not teaching you to swear in Chinese."

"Pleeeeease?"

"No. Are you just going to hold my tail the whole day?"

"Yes."

"Just checking."

Oliver bought a board game for the twins, just something that might make them sit still for five minutes, and it looked easy enough so maybe Teagan could join in with a minimal amount of help. He had a feeling the two of them would be a "team", as that's the way it usually went. In the mean while he told his future mate about all the drama involving Dominic for the last couple of days.

"Told you he wasn't an alpha," the leopard said smugly.

"Yeah, well, he was pretty surprised himself."

"I can imagine."

"Tell me more about the village you grew up in? I mean, I've seen pictures from the region in the book, but none from the village, right?"

"No, it is very remote. Not _exactly_ hidden, but visitors are very rare and always kept an eye on. Ferocitas and their owners from all over Asia lives there, just like those here in North America tend to congregate together in communities."

"I was going to ask something, but it sounds a bit racist in my head…" Oliver muttered.

Xue let out a short laugh. "Ask."

"You… don't really look Chinese…?"

"Why would I? I'm a ferocita?"

"But… wouldn't…? I mean… Um…"

"Well, the serval is an African animal, is that Amy you talked about black? Are Nick and Nate Indian or Asian?"

"No, but when you think about it… shouldn't they be?"

"The different _species_ are our 'races'," Xue explained. "Sure, when humans mix with us we gain some characteristics, but the color of our skin and eyes are mostly determined by our species, not our nationality. There's panthers, among many other groups, with almost completely black skin, and some reptiles with green and blue tints to theirs."

"Oh, I see… of course. I should have known that, I've just never thought about it before," Oliver nodded.

"It's probably because Ferocitas don't really think in nationalities; we're all Ferocitas, that's what we identify with, not the country we are born in."

"Speaking about that, will you teach me Chinese? And yes, more than the dirty words."

"I'll try. But 'Chinese' as you put it is-"

"A group of languages or dialects, I know. Sorry. Will you teach me _Mandarin_? If that's what you speak, that is?" Oliver clarified.

"I do. Well, as I said, I grew up in a very mixed community and I tend to use words and expressions from different regions, but Mandarin is definitely the one you'd want to learn… maybe you can take a class or something and I'll tutor you on the side? I'm not sure how to teach someone a language… apart from the dirty words," the snow leopard smirked.

"Well, we can _start_ with those," Oliver grinned. "But I'd like to learn… just think about it; we could go to China and reveal scandals, interview people in sweatshops, really get amazing scoops!"

"What you are talking about is very, very dangerous," Xue frowned. "I'm having second thoughts about teaching you."

"I knew I shouldn't have said anything… but human rights are important to me! Maybe I can start with interviewing newly arrived immigrants or something?"

"Maybe you can start with learning a whole new language, and by the end of it, let's just hope you're pregnant," the man joked with a snort. His words made Oliver blush.

"Okay."

"Was that okay to start learning or getting pregnant?" Xue grinned.

"Um… both? Although that order seems pretty okay to me."

"As long as you're not very slow learner, I don't want my first kid at forty-five."

"Me neither… I'd say I'll learn Chinese in… four to five years?"

"That's a very good goal, I think."

"So what will yours be?"

"Mine?"

"Yes, if I have one, shouldn't you have one too?"

"That's fair, yes. So… in four to five years I'll have a well established clinic with at least two employees and plans to expand. That should keep food on our table no matter how many cubs we get."

"Awww… 'cubs'… that's so cute. My parents always called us 'kittens'."

"Well, I'm a large cat; we have cubs. But I guess we can have kitten-cubs."

Oliver giggled and shook his head. "I know what we _should_ have right _now_," he then said and suddenly looked serious. "Ice cream."

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: about the swearing: the friend I asked wanted me to point out that she's Malaysian Chinese so if it's wrong, it's wrong…


	30. Happy New Life, part 5

**A/N: **In which there is a surprise… apparently. (I just went by the title there…)

* * *

**Happy New Life, part 5:**

**Enough Surprises Already!**

Oliver_ knew_ he had it easy, and he wondered how humans would react if more of them knew about how the Ferocitas tended to find their mates and what that meant. Would they be horrified that you could literally just bump into someone and then your whole life changed, almost against your will? Would they find it romantic? Practical?

He knew that dating was a nervous business which often didn't lead anywhere; that most humans would have several more or less serious partners in their lives and that very few mated for life; there was always a degree of uncertainty, but _Oliver _knew. Yes, things could still happen, maybe something would come between them, some ideal they couldn't see eye to eye on, but he doubted it more and more. He found Xue kind, fascinating, intelligent, funny… the man didn't appear to be very at ease, surrounded by all these people, but that was understandable, and he also did his best to hide it, which Oliver thought was endearing. Still, he didn't want to stress his future mate out too much, so after the ice cream he quickly finished his shopping, complimenting what he had already bought in Jump with a box of Alfred's favorite tea, a black t-shirt with a silver print of naked tree branches weaving together, which he knew Dominic would love –he made sure to get one that would fit snugly, as the guy loved showing off his body− and he found a necklace with a green crystal for his sister, which he thought was funny as it looked like kryptonite. As they were a large family the kids were on a strict budget when it came to presents, but Oliver had his extra summer job money and could afford to spend a few dollars more on something suitable.

With the shopping done, he took Xue away from the frenzy and into Gotham City Museum; a huge and mainly deserted building, where the snow leopard could finally relax. They strolled through the collections, only stopping at what caught their attention, talking, holding hands, smiling. When they came to a room which was completely deserted, Xue pulled him close for a kiss. when they parted the man caressed his cheek tenderly.

"I never thought I'd come to care for you this much this quickly... I thought it would take a while," he murmured, almost to himself.

"Ah… I'm that appalling, am I?" Oliver grinned.

"Yes, you're a real troll…" Xue smirked. "Honestly, though… I thought you'd be spoilt."

"Really?"

"Yes, your parents are powerful, you're rich, and even_ I_ know who Bruce Wayne is… but you're not spoilt.. .you're just loved."

"Well… that is a _kind_ of spoilt, I think… that and being very lucky," Oliver smiled. "Maybe I don't deserve having found you as well."

"_I_ found _you_. Very important. I'm _proud_ of that," his mate huffed.

"Yes, you're a great hunter, my alpha," Oliver teased him.

"You have no idea, little mate," the man grinned, and the teen could see an expression in his eyes that he was pretty sure would have led to something interesting if they had been at home.

"Well, I think you should prove yourself. Close your eyes and count to fifty," Oliver ordered.

"You want to play? Here?"

"My mate is not allowed to be old, boring, and responsible. If you can't find me, maybe you don't deserve me?" the teen grinned. The older cat got a determined look in his eyes.

"I'll find you."

"Well, I'm pretty good at-"

"One."

Oliver scurried away.

He knew he had less than a minute, but he made sure to double back a few times rub himself against doorways he never entered. The museum was like a maze of small rooms and he eventually found a pretty good hiding place behind a naked Greek man… made of stone of course. He couldn't really disturb the collections in any way, after all, so crawling into or under something was out of the question. Still, it would take the man at least ten minutes or so to-

"Found you."

"You cheated!"

"How?" The man blinked, looking perplexed at the accusation.

"…I have no idea. Fine. Congratulations, you got me… now what are you going to do with your prey?" Oliver grinned.

"Well, usually I gut them and eat them, but I think I'll just kiss you again," the snow leopard shrugged.

"Well, thank you. I think I prefer that too," the cat snickered and molded himself against the man's chest.

Their make out session was cut short by Oliver's phone.

"I better get this, mom has a tendency to activate trackers if we don't answer by the third ring," he sighed and answered. "Hi! Yes, we are. We're at the museum. Oh, so he must have a good time then…? Of course we'll be home for dinner, I think we're pretty done here, we're just going to grab some lunch first because you have eaten, right? Thought so… We'll be home in an hour or two, then. Bye!" Oliver looked at the phone thoughtfully for a moment before putting it away.

"What is it?" Xue asked.

"Dominic just called, he's staying another night with the Martins… he really took to them quickly."

"Well, they are bonded by now, surely."

"Yes, but he was all 'I'll never bottom, ever!' and he seemed to turn around pretty quickly."

"Might be a sign that he's reasonable and listens to his own instincts?" the bigger cat suggested.

"Yes,' reasonable' is my brother in a nutshell, I guess… he probably just had to make a couple of graphs or something first."

"Are you worried about him?"

Oliver hesitated but then shook his head. "Not really, no. They seemed very nice… and he's not one to freak out…"

* * *

Dominic was freaking out. He had just woken up from another cat nap after yet one more sordid roll in the sheets. He remembered calling his mom right before it, but then the world had gone back to being about sex again. Now, however, it was like the fog of bonding had lifted. He couldn't believe what he had done… and said… and…

"Gooooood…" he groaned.

"What is it? Are you in pain?"

The deep voice, coming from right behind his back, made Dominic tense and his tail poof out for a moment. Seeing this made the bear burst out in a deep, hearty laughter.

"Come in here, Amy, you gotta see this! Look at his tail- oh… it went down. Do that again, Dominic, it was so cute."

"I'm not _cute_," the teen muttered into his pillow. How the hell had the mountain of a man convinced him to…? And he was sore too! Really sore! Well… okay, maybe not too bad, not as much as he deserved, after all. Geeze, he'd been so… so… egocentric! And demanding! And…

"I'm never bonding with anyone else ever," he groaned.

"Glad to hear it, because you're kinda stuck with us now," Amy said from the door. "Now what was the cute thing?"

"It's not cute, and I'm not doing it," Dominic pouted.

"We'll see about that," Adrian chuckled and slapped the cat boy's behind. Immediately the tail poofed up, and Amy cooed over it.

"Aww! Look at that! Mine's so short and thick you can hardly tell when I do that," she giggled. She then crawled into bed with them and kissed the teen's pout away quickly.

The bear kissed her too and then Dominic as well, and again the teen tensed just slightly until he reminded himself that this was Adrian; his mate. The next moment he discovered that both the man and he were still naked, but Amy had put on a large t-shirt and panties.

While the Martins just snuggled and talked, the teen's eyes wandered over the man's body, widening as he saw the soft tube of flesh resting against a hairy thigh. He was big himself, and after seeing his father naked a few times when he was younger, he knew where he got those genes from, but Adrian was_ thick_._ Really_ thick. Dominic shifted and wondered how he was still holding together down there, without duct tape or something.

"Please don't tell me that you're horny again, because I think you killed it," the man chuckled, indicating his flaccid member.

"What? No! No, not at all! I mean, I… I think I'll take a shower, if that's okay?" he said, climbing to his feet. He was a bit unsteady, but at least he wasn't split in two. Phew!

"Of course it is, let me show you where everything is, and I'll find out one of Adrian's shirts to wear," Amy smiled and got up as well, making the giant man whine a bit.

"Great, now I have two people stealing my clothes," the bear muttered.

"Like I've said dear, you're welcome to one of my skirts any time," the woman smirked and Dominic couldn't help snickering. He doubted it would even fit around one of the man's massive thighs, but it was a fun thought.

"Do you two dress up for Halloween, because I have some suggestions for next year," he grinned.

"I'm aaaaall ears," Amy smirked back and grabbed his arm as she guided him out of the room. "Literally. Let's talk."

"Don't plot anything!" the man yelled after them.

"Oh hush, and change the sheets!" his wife ordered.

She got him soft, fluffy towels, a shirt and then hesitated, looking down into a drawer with underwear. "There's no way these will fit you… um… don't be offended now, but I have some boxer style panties… just until your clothes are clean? I'll start a batch of laundry at once, so it would just be for the day?"

"Are they pink?" Dominic groaned wondering why the heck he hadn't thought of packing any clothes. He had just grabbed his toothbrush, but on the other hand he had expected to only be staying one night.

"I think I have a pair in black. There's not even any lace on them… although if you want to wake that 'dead' snake up in there…?"

"No lace, please," the teen quickly said.

"Let me know I you ever change your mind, it would be super sexy," the young woman giggled, and fished a pair of somewhat-manly-looking underwear out of a drawer.

He was shown to the main bathroom, apparently there was one with just a toilet down the hall as well.

"As you see we have both a tub and a shower. We had to remodel when we bought the place, because the big lug couldn't fit in the tub and I didn't want to give it up. I love a long, nice hot soak," Amy told him. "He keeps telling me I can't really be a cat…"

"And what does he do that's so bear like? Prevent forest fires?" Dominic smirked.

"Good one!" the woman laughed. "I hope you'll be on my team when he goes all stubborn about something next time." She smiled up at him and the teen felt flutters of something that wasn't desire, but something else… caring, perhaps. He felt like he was basking in that warm smile and wanted to stay there forever, and he also desperately wanted to protect her. She was quite petite, but had alluringly wide and round hips which swayed with every step and instinctively made him a promise of future litters. He could imagine her swelling with child, _his _child, and the sense of pride and pure bliss that filled him at that moment was almost overwhelming.

"Earth to Nicky? What are you thinking about?"

"Nicky?"

"Just came up with it. 'Dominic' is so long, but if you don't like it..?"

"It's fine! I'm more used to 'Dom' or 'Nick' but it's fine," he grinned. "And I was just lost in thought. Um… so… I should… shower then?" he said and looked at her expectantly.

"What, are you waiting for me to leave? You are aware that you've been walking around with me stark naked through the whole apartment, right?"

"Oh. Right." The teen blushed a little. He had been so focused on her that he had forgotten all about it.

"I'll let you have some privacy, then." She winked at him before leaving, closing the door behind her.

When he had finished and dressed, he found her in the living room, folding an earlier batch of laundry while swaying to some pop music coming from a small stereo system.

"Come dance with me!" she grinned when she saw him.

"Um… I don't really dance in public…" he muttered. Oliver would jump at the offer, and Alexandra would at least consider it, but he usually felt a bit too self-conscious.

"Well, this is not 'public'. Don't tell me I got another mate who can't dance!" the woman complained.

"I never said I _couldn't_," Dominic grinned and came up to her. They started moving to the music and the teen could tell by the look of Amy's face that she liked what she saw.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" A voice rumbled from the doorway.

Dominic fought an urge to yelp and hide behind Amy, because the voice –belonging to the bear of course− had sounded quite… lecherous.

"Now, now, sweetheart, wasn't your penis dead?" his wife asked innocently.

"Seeing both of you in my shirts has apparently made a miracle happen," the man grinned as he came up to them, pulling them both close to his wide chest. They fit. "So, what do you say? Want to get the new sheets dirty?"

"I'm… I'm good, thank you," Dominic stuttered. The other man's scent was still alluring as hell, but he felt rather nervous now, for some reason.

"You sore? Well, we still have Amy? Maybe we can do that thing we fantasized about the other night, huh?" the man suggested to his wife.

"_That_, my dear, was before I knew Nicky here is hung like a horse!" the woman said. "There's no way in_ hell_ I'll let a horse and a beer bottle both fuck me at the same time!"

"Oh, god…" Dominic mumbled because that thought actually turned him on.

"Well dibs on your back end, then, and Nicky can have the front," Adrian suggested.

"You're soooo romantic… but okay!" Amy grinned and practically skipped into the bedroom. The men –although at least one of them had the decency to feel a bit ashamed of himself− followed in her wake, practically panting.

Somehow, a bit later, Dominic ended up on his back with Adrian, not Amy, sucking him off. Amy was kissing him, purring in a weird, slightly guttural way. Dominic found he liked it, and began purring back. The sound hitched in his throat, however, when he felt a slick finger prodding his entrance. He was about to claim that he was sore when Amy's tongue invaded his mouth and muffled any objections. At the same time the finger slid in. He raised his hips to avoid it, but Adrian, it seemed, took it as an invitation to add another digit.

It wasn't that it hurt or that it was uncomfortable, quite the opposite; it felt better than he expected it to. He didn't remember much about the previous night, actually, it was mostly a haze, so this was like the first time all over again. The reason he didn't particularly want it to happen was that the voice telling him 'you're not a bottom!' was nagging at him again. His body, however, was very onboard with the whole bottom thing, and insisted that he'd at least _try_ it again. It therefore spread his knees and used his muscular legs to wrap around the bear's large frame and pull him in, quite opposite to what his mind wanted to do.

"Oh… god…" he gasped as the fat head of the other man's dick breach him, creating a feeling of intense heat and fullness. "Go… go slowly."

"I got you, sweetheart, don't you worry," the man rumbled at him, his voice somehow making the teen feel safe, helping him to relax. The man sank in deeper and gave a few experimental thrusts which made Dominic gasp.

"Mmm… that looks hot… makes me jealous," the serval grinned and rolled over on her back. "Some service, Nicky?"

"A… bit… pinned down…" the teen grunted, and then hissed when the man pulled out of him.

"I think we can arrange something," the bear leered, and soon Dominic felt himself sinking into a wet, tight heat while something entered him from behind. "There… feels like I'm fucking both of you," Adrian said.

"Heh, you better fuck him pretty hard for _me_ to feel it," Amy teased him.

"Challenge accepted."

"UGH! Maybe check with the middle man next time?!" Dominic objected, but was soon lost in the dual sensation the couple brought him. He might not_ really_ be a bottom… but he could learn to like it.

* * *

Oliver leaned against the back seat of the car, enjoying a full stomach after a great lunch at a small restaurant close to the museum. He looked over at Xue next to him and smiled. Bruce's butler had come to pick them up and that was a good thing, because finding parking in the city center was murder. And if you ventured down into the vast parking garages… well, that could _really_ be murder.

His mind worked funny, sometimes, and suddenly a question he had been mulling over in the back of his head popped up.

"Xue?" he asked carefully. "May I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"It might be personal, it's about your parents."

"Nothing is too personal between you and me, kitten. I'll answer if I know the answer."

"I was just wondering… your mother met your father while she was in heat, but they didn't bond? I mean… they didn't live together? Why?"

"Simple: they weren't true mates. When a woman or a carrier is in heat they are eager to mate with anyone who doesn't smell of family and such… unless they are mated, then they stick to their partner or partners. My mother wanted a child and her owner searched for a male snow leopard. We are rare, very rare, I've only met one more apart from my parents… but we rather rarely have mates. We're quite solitary by nature and my father's job was done when my mother was pregnant. After the heat-haze let up they went their separate ways. They kept in sporadic contact and he knew I existed, but that was pretty much it."

"Annie said you needed your own space, but I didn't think it meant… I mean… you and I? We're… we're true mates, right? You just won't leave, will you?"

"We're true mates, trust me."

"And you… you don't want to go find a snow leopard? Our cubs won't… they won't be 'pure' after all… is that important to you?"

"Under different circumstances it might have been. Rare Ferocitas are often more prone to only breed within their own species," Xue said seriously, making Oliver's heart crumble a bit. "But you are my mate. I've known that since I was a boy, and there's no way I'd trade you for all the snow leopards in the world."

Oliver's heart healed pretty quickly after hearing that and he smiled warmly at the man, leaning over to steal a kiss.

"Now," the older cat said once he had allowed that, "I have a question for _you_ too… and it might be just as personal."

"Shoot."

"I'm a bit… perplexed… about the way you call your carrier-father 'mom'."

"Well, it's better than, what was that? 'Carrier-father'? _That _sounded stupid!"

"I didn't mean to offend you-"

"No, no, you didn't. Trust me, I've had this discussion_ lots_ of times with kids at school… Mom gave birth to me and nursed me. In the world of mammals that means he's the mother. Besides, if they wanted us to call him something different we would have, but that's not how they raised us. I think they thought all the dad-daddy-father-thing would be too confusing anyway."

"So will you be the 'mother'?"

"Well, there's just two of us, less confusing, right? But I don't know… I kinda like the sound of it," Oliver smiled dreamily and placed a hand on his perfectly flat and definitely not impregnated stomach.

"I'll get used to it, then," the leopard shrugged and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you. Oh, we're here. I guess it's time for you to meet everyone."

"I guess so," the man muttered, sounding tense again.

* * *

"And we saved this room as a nursery," Amy said softly, opening a door that had been closed until now. She had been given Dominic a tour which was a bit more in-depth that what a guest might get, as in included things like 'where to find the extra toilet paper'.

"It's a nice room," the teen nodded. It was done up in fresh, neutral colors but was more or less used for storage at the moment.

"I guess I can make it into a hobby room or something now, for a while," the woman said. "I mean, now I know we're going to wait a few years anyway, so it seems silly not to use it."

Dominic listened carefully for any hint of sadness or passive aggressiveness in her voice, but she actually sounded enthusiastic.

"Do you have many hobbies?"

"Oh yes, right now it's making jewelry… you know, just beads and stuff, mainly, but I carve some pieces myself."

"Do you have some for sale? Maybe I can buy a necklace or something for Alexandra and Teagan?"

"Aw, you're so sweet! You can pick out some to give to them, but I'm not going to charge you!"

Thanks. By the way, will there be room in here for a desk for me? A study area?"

"Of course! But I think Adrian's office will do best for that, although if he annoys you, move in with me," she grinned and led him to the last room of the hallway.

This room was almost as big as the master bedroom and it was slightly cluttered with binders and papers, but there was room for another desk, at least.

"Oh, let's set up the desks so they are facing each other! That would be so cute!"

"Women," the bear snorted good-naturedly from the door, and Dominic gave him a grin. He hadn't quite understood how arranging desks like that was 'cute' either. "Should we go get a desk then?"

"Yes!" the woman squealed.

"Um, I just need to stop by the manor first, in that case. For any big charges I have to borrow the family charge card," Dominic said. He doubted he had enough in his account for furniture at the moment.

"Pah! We'll buy the desk as your Christmas present!" Adrian exclaimed. "Come on, family! Let's move out!"

Amy grinned and grabbed Dominic's arm and then her husband's, almost dragging both of them out of the apartment.

They ended up buying a desk of the same type of wood as the one Adrian already had, to make sure they matched. It was a great craftsman-ship, no plywood in sight, and the store told them it would be delivered that very evening, though it was already early afternoon. They then went to a local grocery store and bought some things for dinner, and soon Dominic's mouth was watering at the amazing smells coming from the kitchen.

"Shouldn't we help?" he asked the bear, who was flipping through TV channels.

"I dare you to try," the man smirked.

"Amy? Need any help?" the teen called out.

"Oh, do you like cooking, Nicky?" the woman wanted to know, sticking her head around the door, her face flushed and her hair standing a bit on end.

"Well, no, not really, I was just-"

"Then stay away from my kitchen, dear," she grinned, and disappeared again.

"Just let us know if you want any help!" he insisted and got an affirmative reply.

"Sometimes I'm sure that she thinks she's a housewife from the fifties, but she loves it," Adrian shrugged. "Our worst fights is about me trying to make her do less around the house… Even though I work a lot, we can afford some housekeeping to come in at least once a week to so some of the more boring things, but she refuses."

"She doesn't have a job, then?" Dominic asked and sat down on the sofa as well, next to his alpha.

"No, she's never felt very at ease in the human world and she tried working at a ferocita day care here in the city, but it kept making her go into heat…"

"Oh. Well… that must have sucked."

"Heh… depends..." the man leered, and Dominic couldn't help but snicker.

"So… 'don't get in the way of Amy and housework'," the teen then said. "That's probably good advice. What about you? What are _your_ pet peeves?"

"Weeell… I'm pretty even-tempered. Never even been in a bar fight, although it was close one time."

"What happened?" the cat asked with wide eyes. "How did you avoid it?"

"I stood up. Once the other guys understood that I was bigger than all of them combined, they backed off. One bought me a beer. To this day I wonder if wanted to get in my pants."

Dominic chuckled. "But there has to be things that annoy you, right?"

"Yes, there's one thing, and that might be a problem now when we're going to share an office…" the man said seriously.

"And that is?" The teen felt anxious, hoping it would be something he could live with himself.

"No music. Not even headphones, unless it's turned down very low. I need quiet when I work, or I can't focus."

"I'm the same way!" Dominic exclaimed happily. "Oliver likes to listen to music, have a movie playing, and talk to people on the phone while doing his homework. I'm always stumped that he actually has okay grades."

"Good, we'll work well together, then," the man smiled. "And people are just different… their brains work differently too."

"_Really_ different in my big brother's case," Dominic grinned.

"He's your _older_ brother?"

"Yes, by like a few minutes. Then it was me and then Alexandra. I'm very annoyed I didn't win there, but it makes sense that Ollie was the first one out; he's too curious for his own good, sometimes."

The bear chuckled and pulled the teen closer on the sofa, apparently just to sniff him.

"Do I smell good?" he snickered.

"Very. For a while there during our mating, I more or less forgot Amy was in the room. _Don't_ tell her that."

"I won't! But yeah… I'm a bit hazy about the details, but there was a lot of just you and me there for a while, wasn't there?"

"Well, you were the new addition, so I guess it's natural. And it's probably an alpha/beta thing… you know… establish dominance, that sort of thing… and there your hackles rose. Literally."

"Sorry. I guess I still have a bit of a hard time to swallow it," the teen muttered.

"Didn't seem that way to me," the man leered.

"Dirty old man!" Dominic gasped, and got a face full of stubble as a reply. Despite the prickliness, the kiss was still very nice and might have led somewhere if the intercom hadn't rung.

"That will be the desk. We might have time to set it up before dinner, come on." the bear said and got up.

Dominic surprised himself by sighing in disappointment.

* * *

"One more time!"

"No, Teagan, that was three rounds of Ludo, I'm all Ludo-ed out," Oliver smiled. "Go ask the twins if they want to play."

"But they never let me win!"

"I never let you win either, you beat me fair and square," Oliver managed to say with a sincere face.

"You help me count and give me hints, they just push me off the board," the little girl muttered sullenly.

"Not our fault, we stick by the _rules_!" Taylor cut in, in his and his brother's defense. They had been busy playing a TV-game right next to them the whole time, and Teagan had felt left out so Oliver indulged her. He actually liked playing with his younger siblings. Alexandra and Dominic joined in once in a while when they felt like it, but Oliver was the only one who would usually initiate a game of some sort. He just loved making them happy. Right now his whole focus wasn't on his little brothers and sister, however; someone else needed his attention and now he looked for him.

"Where's Xue?" he asked, looking around the room. The man had been explored the bookcases last he had seen him.

"Oh, he left like half an hour ago," Braden shrugged.

"He did?" Oliver's heart sank a little, because it was clear it wasn't just a bathroom break if he had been gone _that _long. "I better go find him."

His nose was nowhere near as good as Xue's, but this was his mate he was hunting, and he eventually found him on a balcony off an empty sitting room.

"Hi," Oliver said carefully. "Are… are you okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, it just got a bit… noisy."

"I'm sorry, you should have told us!" the teen said, tentatively touching the older man's arm. The snow leopard only snorted softly and pulled him into a hug.

"It's just who I am, kitten. Remember when I said we are solitary? Sometimes it just gets too much, and I need to get away."

"Can I get away _with_ you, next time?"

"Unless you seem to be having fun, like you were with your little sister."

Oliver leaned his head against Xue's chest and sighed. "For a perfect match we sure don't fit together that well. I love being surrounded by people… well... unless I'm in a bad mood."

"Ah, so_ that's_ why you were acting like you thought I was angry?"

"Yeah, well… it kinda made sense to me, you know?"

"I understand, but no; I'm not angry at all, just… tired. I think that's a better description of it. I get tired and need to rest my head a bit."

"You must be tired for real too…I mean, it's just about bedtime for the kids, but you have been up since before dawn, driving here… do you want to go to bed?"

The leopard showed his teeth in what looked like a hungry smile. "And sleep? Or…?"

Oliver blushed furiously. "Um… maybe… more?"

"Sounds good to me," the larger cat chuckled and then gave a big yawn. "I actually_ am_ tired… but not_ too_ tired."

"G-good. I… I just have to go by my room first, and… um… see to something, and… maybe take a shower?"

"Me too. See you in my room afterwards then?"

Oliver nodded quickly, turned on his heel, and ran.

He almost collided with his parents, all three of them, who were on their way to hunt down their younger children to tuck them in.

"What's the rush there, kid?" Red grinned. Like he knew.

"I… Um… nothing."

"Have fun, dear. Don't forget your pill," Robin smiled, almost serenely.

"Would you like me to have a talk with him first?" Slade asked.

"No! God no! No!" Oliver exclaimed, making the man chuckle.

"Well, just make sure to tell me if he hurts you. I'll take care of it."

"Snow leopards are really rare!" Oliver blurted out for some reason, making his mother burst out laughing.

"Your father mean that he'd _talk _to him."

"I did?" Slade asked.

"Yes, you did. Now come on, old man, let's make sure the kittens go to sleep and then enjoy some peace and quiet of our own, alright?"

"Sounds like a plan," Oliver heard his father say as he himself continued sprinting down the hallway.

He gulped down the pill, pulled his clothes off and jumped into the shower. Once inside he forced himself to calm down and made sure to clean himself properly, carefully choosing his favorite soap so he would smell nice.

After dressing in a clean pair of black pajama pants and a jade-colored t-shirt followed by ten minutes of pep talk in front of the mirror, he was ready. Probably. Maybe. His _body_ was ready, his instincts were all screaming at him to go get mated, but in the middle of it all was a small and very nervous human mind that was desperately trying to veto everything. He grabbed one of the bottles of lubricant his mother had bought him. It was time.

He hurried along the hallways towards Xue's room, thanking his lucky stars that someone had been considerate enough to have him stay in the other wing, away from the family's rooms, so they could have some privacy. After knocking softly on the door, he slipped inside, his eyes quickly adapting to the darkness there.

The man was on his back on the bed, hair slightly damp, only wearing a pair of boxers. His eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply. He was asleep. Oliver didn't know if he thought it was sweet or insulting, but he took the opportunity to blatantly study his future mate's body.

Now, he knew he was spoiled as he had grown up around males who were all at their absolute physical prime and actively worked to stay that way, and he has sometimes thought that maybe that had given him rather askew expectations about how a man should look, but he didn't see anything he didn't like right now. The man's body was that of one who moved a lot naturally to stay in shape, more than going to the gym. His arms had the most muscle, maybe his job meant that he had to use his strength to work on his patient's muscles and bones, but Oliver didn't really know. His chest was smattered with golden-white hair, which turned darker the further down the teen's eyes traveled. It had turned black by the time the trail disappeared into the man's boxers. The wide shoulders, flat stomach and pronounced hip bones made the man's body look almost as angular as his face, something the cat found very attractive for some reason, and the shadows playing over his form made him even more alluring. Oliver breathed in the man's scent and found enough courage to enter the bed, putting the lube on the bedside table and pulling off his own t-shirt first. He didn't want to seem overdressed.

He didn't want to wake Xue up; he'd be fine with just sleeping as that obviously was what the man needed, but before he had even put his head on the pillow, the pale yellow eyes blinked open in the darkness, reflecting quite a bit of light as they did.

"Did… I fall asleep?" he mumbled, obviously feeling foolish.

"It's okay," Oliver smiled nervously and edged closer on the bed until he was in the man's arms. "If you'd rather sleep..?"

"If I'd rather sleep than bond with my beautiful mate, and lose my virginity to boot I'd be crazy. Unless… _you'd _rather just sleep?"

"Did you just insinuate that I'm crazy?" Oliver huffed playfully.

"I did, didn't I?" the man smiled and then leaned over to kiss him.

This time, the kiss didn't really end. It went on and on, although Xue's lips eventually left Oliver's mouth and travelled further down. The teen gasped as he let his alpha explore him, almost _inspect _him, all over. They both turned more feral as their instincts took over, and when Oliver jerked away because Xue had inadvertently tickled him, the snow leopard growled and held him down. The teen made a soft, keening noise of apology and submission, leading to him getting a few licks on his neck from the larger male. Soon a pair of boxers and one pair of pajama pants hit the floor, and they were grinding against each other.

Oliver wanted to do some exploring of his own and the leopard reluctantly let him, although he wouldn't let him up, so the teen mainly had to use his hands. The feeling of the man rutting against him was too great, however, and the cat didn't want any more foreplay; he wanted to mate. He pulled away very, very slowly until Xue made a frustrated sound and was about to pull him back.

"Wait!" Oliver reached for the bottle of lube and then thrust it into his partner's hands. "We need this."

Xue just nodded curtly and opened it, while Oliver followed his instincts and turned around on his hands and knees. He lowered his front to the bed, moved his tail to the side, out of the way, and smiled back at the other male, purring.

The snow leopard quickly slathered himself with the lube, rose up on his knees, grabbed Oliver's slender hips and pushed in.

The boy made a keening noise while the big car roared. As a carrier Ollie had more natural give down there than a human, and he had played with himself many, many times, so the quick, almost brutal, penetration didn't hurt as much as it would have otherwise. It was what it was: a claiming. One large hand was pushing down on his neck, the other one was still on his hip, making sure he had nowhere to go until his alpha had finished. Not that Oliver _wanted_ to go anywhere. He pushed back against the quick, hard thrusts eagerly, because he knew that he was close and had a feeling Xue was as well; it was their first time, after all; a marathon would be a bit much to expect.

His mate roared again, and Oliver felt the man swelling inside him, which pushed him violently over the edge with a cry of his own. A heavy weight settled on top of him and Oliver sank completely down on the bed, a wide grin slowly spreading on his face. It had worked. He could feel that it had worked: Xue was now his, a part of his very _soul_. Maybe that was a bit sentimental, but that's what it felt like.

"That was great…" he mumbled, but didn't get a reply. "Xue?" Deep breaths was all that was heard. His mate had fallen asleep. Oliver chuckled and settled down under the weight, liking how the man felt on top of him. It would get uncomfortable as fuck soon enough and then he'd push him away, but for now, it was all perfect.

He was woken up by Xue pushing into him again about an hour later, and the night continued like that; napping, fucking, napping, fucking, until they both finally drifted off into a deep sated sleep around three in the morning.

* * *

Returning to the manor and his family was more than a_ bit_ awkward for Dominic; after all, they all knew what he had been doing for the last forty eight hours or so.

"Well, you don't look much worse for wear at least," Alexandra snickered.

"Don't go there, sis. Just don't," the black haired teen growled.

"What, I was worried about you…" she laughed but then got serious. "You okay, though?" she asked and butted his head against his, softly, sniffing him a bit.

"Yeah, I'm great," he smiled.

"You smell like bear."

"You smell like clone."

They had a short staring contest and then burst out laughing.

"Where are your mates, anyway? Did you just get yours and abandon them?"

"No, they are parking the car. They were invited to stay for Christmas."

"Good, I would like to know these kidnappers a bit better. Taking my brother away and everything," she sniffed. "At least the leopard had the decency to come_ here_."

"Oh, yeah, where are they?"

"Not up yet," the woman smirked.

"Ooohhh…" Dominic snickered. "So… it's Christmas Eve, are they going to come out at _all_, you think?"

"Maybe they will be hungry around dinner-time? It's not even lunch yet."

"If not, then more for us."

"True."

They heard voices by the door and Dominic realized that his mates had entered the house and were talking to someone. He better go make sure nothing too embarrassing was said.

"Thank you so much for having us over the holidays," Amy just told his mother when the teen entered the scene.

"Thank you for understanding that we're not quite ready to let go of our babies yet, and want them all here for Christmas," Robin replied.

"I'm not a baby, mom," the teen snorted automatically.

"You'll always be to me," Robin told him and pulled him close for a hug. "Though you barely smell like you're mine anymore," he added sadly.

"You're not going to sniff me all the time like you did with Alexandra in the beginning, are you?" the teen groaned.

"I can't believe I didn't understand what that _meant_," Slade muttered from behind them.

"Let's just all be glad Slade doesn't have our sense of smell, alright?" Robin grinned. Or _Xue's _sense of smell, that would be _horrible_. Then he probably would be able to smell what we were _thinking_," he added, making both Dominic and Red pale a bit.

"Speaking about smells, the kitchen is this way, isn't it?" Amy interrupted. "Who do I talk to about cooking dinner tomorrow?"

"You're our guest, you shouldn't be cooking! My father has staff for that," Robin objected.

"And I'm going to be good and leave them alone today, but no one can keep me out of the kitchen on Christmas Day."

"That's true, although thanksgiving is actually worse," Adrian nodded. "She lives for these kinds of meals, so if you wouldn't mind…?"

"Please let her?" Dominic added.

"Well, of course, if she _wants _to… I'll let them know that you're in charge tomorrow, and introduce you to the chef. I'm sure you can divide responsibilities…"

"I'm sure we can," the woman said, but it rather sounded like she had made up her mind already.

"There's someone you haven't met, I'm going to take you to meet Alfred," Dominic smiled and grabbed the arms of his mates.

"You do that, he's just up from his nap," Robin nodded. "We're setting up a room for you right now, they are assembling the bed. Extra large."

"Wow, where did you get_ that_ from?" Dominic, who had felt a bit cramped last night, blinked.

"Um…" His mother blushed a little. "We ordered two of them a few years ago when we were here and... broke ours."

"I'm going to pretend that you did it because father was jumping on it," the teen groaned. "Come, let's go, before my dad tells the story of how it_ really_ happened."

"Dang, it's a good one too," Red sighed.

"Well, there's always later," Adrian smirked over his shoulder as he was dragged away by the black house cat.

* * *

Oliver and Xue snuck downstairs just before lunch, and the three new members of the Wilson family were just about to meet each other.

Adrian had been entertaining the younger kids for a while, practically beaming. It was obvious he loved children and the idea of having a family, and his mates were just both smiling fondly at him from the sidelines. Bruce and Slade were talking intently about something or other, but all eyes turned to the newly mated couple as Red greeted them.

"Well, good_ morning_."

"Morning, dad," Oliver groaned. Did Red _have _to draw attention to them like that? He noticed that Xue thought there were too many people in the room so he decided to do introductions quickly. After the Martins, he gestured to Dominic. "And you've already met Dominic, although briefly."

When the snow leopard turned to the black haired cat, his tall frame stiffened and he sniffed the air.

"What?" Dominic frowned at the weird greeting.

"Just a moment… Alpha Adrian, this might sound peculiar, but may I smell your mate more closely?"

"I… guess?" the bear blinked.

"Honey, what's… what's wrong? Is he sick?" Oliver asked worriedly.

Xue didn't answer, he just stepped into the teen's personal space and sniffed a blushing Dominic's neck. He even lifted his arm and sniffed his armpit before the teen pulled back.

"What are you doing!?"

"Just confirming my suspicions… but I'm rude, I apologize. It's just rare that carriers acts like alphas."

Dominic gaped, but then burst out laughing. "I… I can accept that I'm not an alpha, and even that I have a male alpha, but I'm _not_ a carrier. My parents checked when we were babies."

"How old were you?"

"Five months," Robin cut in.

"That might have been too soon for it to show. Or it was missed."

"It showed on Oliver, and there is no way he's a carrier… he has never been in heat!" Robin stated.

"He just _had_ one," Xue informed them. "That's why I reacted so strongly to his smell."

"No, I just _mated_! Your nose is just… wrong!" Dominic almost yelled. Adrian put a calming arm around his shoulder and Amy snuggled into his arms.

"Settle down everybody," Slade snapped, getting the attention of the whole room. "It should be easy enough to check, but Xue, shouldn't the others have sensed this? Robin? His siblings? Or the Martins for that matter?"

"Family doesn't really smell heat pheromones to avoid inbreeding," the snow leopard explained. "Amy isn't able to answer the 'call' either, as she is female. The only one who should have smelled it is Adrian."

"If you _knew_…" Dominic growled, twisting around to stare up at the man, "If you knew I was in heat and still-"

"I didn't!" the man looked crestfallen. "I swear, my sense of smell isn't that good after a fire when I was young, and I didn't know that it was any more than ordinary mating, I promise! Yes, you smelled _amazing_, and yes it got very… intense, but I had no clue! I promise that I had no clue!"

No one could distrust the look in the large man's eyes, and Dominic melted against his chest.

"Sorry… I just... sorry."

"It's true, his sense of smell is only a bit better than a human's," Amy said quietly. "We're just as surprised as you are."

"But I still don't understand how," Robin said. "He's seventeen, there should have been signs by now, surely?"

"It's possible that this is similar to being born the wrong gender," Xue said. "His smell confused me a bit before. He has grown up feeling like an alpha and his testosterone levels might have kept his heats at bay… a 'late bloomer', so to speak."

"HOLY _SHIT_!" Dominic suddenly exclaimed. "Does this mean I'm _pregnant_?"

"You… you _could_ be, sweetie," Robin said, his voice faltering at the realization.

"Is he?" Oliver asked Xue.

"I can't possibly smell that yet. Pregnancies are hard to smell until after the mother would know naturally anyway, though I have been able to give the news to a client or two."

"Okay… okay…" Dominic was staring into open space. "He's a bear. He's a bear and I'm a cat and he and Amy hasn't been able to do it because of that so… not likely, right? It's not likely?"

"It _is_ harder to conceive cross-species, yes. Don't be afraid, kitten," Adrian rumbled.

"Grandpa, please get me some pills? Like now? Rush delivery from the lab?" the teen asked.

Bruce had stayed out of the 'Ferocita business' until now, and frowned. "I… can't. I mean… we _shouldn't_. If you turn out to be pregnant it could hurt the child… unless… well…" the billionaire couldn't bring himself to say it and Oliver swallowed as well, afraid of what his brother's answer might be… but still, this was a shock, and if he was pregnant all his plans for his future might have to be changed. That was big. Maybe too big.

"Unless what? Will it be like the day-after pill?" Dominic asked.

"It… could be arranged," his grandfather admitted reluctantly.

"No!" All eyes turned to Adrian.

"What?" Dominic gasped.

"If you are pregnant we're keeping the child!"

"It's my body!"

"And I'm your alpha!" the large man seemed to grow, like the grizzly was taking over.

"You can't decide that!" Dominic snarled at him. "Go to hell!" He swirled around and prepared to stomp out when Slade gave the bear a quick advice.

"Grab his neck."

One of Adrian's large hands shot out and grabbed the back of his new mate's neck, and the boy went more or less limp.

"Father!" he whined at the betrayal.

"You're too old run away in anger, you three will stay in here and talk this out. We'll leave you to it," Slade told him sternly.

"I'm not leaving!" Robin began, his tail all poofed up. "He was going to_ force_ him to-"

Slade grabbed the back of the hero's neck and more or less dragged him out of there. "Don't let go too soon," he told Adrian as he passed him. "That's _one_ lesson I learned the hard way."

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: I hesitated for a long time about whether or not I would make Dominic a carrier as well… but then I thought 'to hell with it'. It's nice to play around with the stereotypes once in a while and Slade never lets me play with _his_, so… ;)

You are allowed to hate the idea if you wish.


	31. Happy New Life part 6

**A/N: **Last chapter! Happy New Year!

* * *

**Happy New Life part 6:**

**New Years Resolution**

Dominic was fuming and tried very hard to stay that way as Adrian and Amy was talking to him.

"I'm sorry, kitten, I shouldn't have said that… it was instinct!" the bear was telling him at the moment.

"Of course we would have _talked_ about it," Amy added urgently. "We understand that now isn't a good time for you, that's why we agreed to wait, right? And for _you_ to be pregnant, well, that will be even_ more_ of an impact on your life."

"The child would be born in September, after college started," Adrian nodded. "Although maybe you won't have to miss too many classes."

"I'm sure you could arrange it so you can make those up, somehow," Amy added, "maybe do some of the work online? Most classes have live feeds now, and-"

"I'm not pregnant," the teen muttered.

"Oh," the serval seemed to remember herself after getting carried away. "Sure… at least as far as we know… but… you know... _if_…"

"There's no '_if_'."

"Now, kitten, you might just want to accept that there _might_ be an 'if'," Adrian said. "But how about we discuss that when we know for sure, alright?"

"Alright."

"I can let you go?"

"Yes. I'm sorry for telling you to go to hell."

"I understand… I can't even imagine your shock right now, and I'm pretty astonished myself… this was… a surprise."

"Little bit," Dominic said sarcastically and rubbed his neck as he was let go. "If I'm not pregnant I'm going on the pill, though."

"Of course!"

"And… I think I'll stay on it. I'm not sure I _want_ to be pregnant, I think I'll leave that to Amy."

"Well, thank _you,_ how_ generous_," the woman drawled.

"It's just that it's hard to… _identify_… with that part of me… you know?"

"I think we both understand… and who knows, maybe in time…?" Adrian said.

Dominic shrugged, refusing to make any promises.

"Are we ready to go join the others?" Amy asked carefully.

"Yeah…" the teen sighed.

"I could eat," the bear nodded.

"When _can't_ you?" his wife chuckled.

* * *

"I'm sorry for all the commotion," Xue mumbled to Oliver after they had hurriedly left the room and snuck off to a nearby sitting room instead. "I should have waited to say something, but I thought he knew…"

"Poor Dom… he had no clue about any of this, but I guess it's good that it's happening…? Him meeting the Martins and such I mean… he could have gone through his whole life unable to really connect with anyone, and not understanding why…"

"Yes… I still shouldn't have just blurted it out like that in front of company, though. Oh, well. It happened. Can't change it."

"Remember that when _I_ screw something up, okay?" the teen grinned and raised himself up on his toes for a kiss. One turned into many, until there was a voice in the door.

"Break apart. Lunch is served," Slade told them.

As they left the room Xue caressed the back of Oliver's head.

"That neck thing, does it work on you too?"

"Um… nope! Nope, absolutely not!"

"Hmmm…"

"I have a feeling it works on all cats," Slade said.

"Well… _smaller _ones, perhaps," the snow leopard sniffed. "Domesticated. I doubt very much it would work on _m_-"

Oliver turned around when his mate suddenly stopped talking, only to see him hanging helplessly in Slade's grip. The man smirked and released him.

"You're just a pussy cat too, boy. You better remember to behave yourself."

"Yes, Sir!" the snow leopard replied quickly, his eyes wide.

Oliver hid his grin and, for Xue's sake, pretended he hadn't seen anything.

"So Dominic feels better?" he asked his father.

"He's still a bit rattled, but I think so, yes. They might have a few questions for you, Xue."

"I'll help any way I can," the leopard promised, still sounding a bit shaken.

"How soon will we know?" Adrian asked Bruce over lunch. "We've used the new type of pregnancy tests where you can tell after only a few days, but will they work on Dominic?"

"They should, but wait at least a week," the man told them.

"The older 'early tell' versions worked on me," Robin nodded.

"Speaking about 'waiting'…" Dominic spoke up and then looked embarrassed when he realized what exactly he was about to ask at the table full of family. "Xue… umm… I'm not still in heat, am I?"

"No, I can smell that you've _had_ one, that's all."

"So… it would be safe if…? Or maybe we shouldn't…?"

"No precautions should be necessary," the snow leopard said quickly with a small smile.

Oliver stared down on his plate because he was busy thinking about what it would be like when_ he_ finally could allow himself to go into heat… would he get pregnant right away? It was very likely… He also wondered what it would feel like, and before he knew it, so many dirty thoughts were running through his head that he felt himself getting hard! While his little sister was chattering about a dream she had during nap-time! Oh, dear god! As Teagan had claimed the only empty chair next to him, Xue had taken the one right across, and the snow leopard was now subtly sniffing the air. Oliver glanced up briefly and got a knowing look.

Shit! His mate could smell him being aroused from _across the table_! That was just not _fair_! Why the hell did he have to have a nose like that? Suddenly something brushed over his crotch and he gasped, jumping half a foot into the air. It was his mate's long, thick tail! The bastard! Oliver glared at him.

"Ollie? What's wrong?" his mother asked.

"I- uh… nothing... just… got a cramp."

"IH!" Teagan suddenly laughed and grabbed something under the table. "It's Xue's fluffy tail!" she announced and pulled at it, so the tip showed over the edge of the table. The snow leopard winced and slid down on his seat from the assault.

"Sweetie, remember what we talked about, about tails being sensitive? Let go of it." Robin told his youngest sternly. "And Xue? Oliver? No playing at the table."

This left the two mates with beet red faces, and the teen was glaring even more.

"Aw, damn…" Adrian said, breaking the awkward silence. "And here I am with just a stump for a tail…"

"Had no idea you could have that much fun with a longer one," Amy agreed innocently.

"Don't encourage them," Robin sighed.

"What are you _talking_ about?" a frustrated Taylor wanted to know.

"Yeah? What?" his brother piped up.

"Never you mind, kids," Red chuckled.

"We'll find out!" Braden snorted.

"Yeah, we'll figure it out in no time," Taylor nodded.

"Let's hope it takes a few years…" their grandfather sighed.

After lunch Oliver had a feeling that Xue needed some more peace and quiet, so he took him on a long walk around the perimeter of the estate. Snow was falling; huge, soft flakes, and there was next to no wind so all sound, even their own voices, seemed muted.

"That's a cute hat," Xue laughed at him.

"Hey, you should wear one too!" Oliver defended himself. "You'll freeze your ears off."

"Nah." The man took one of the teen's hands, pulled off his glove and put his hand to his own, rounded ear. "Feel the thick fur? They can take a lot colder weather than this. They aren't like your dainty, sensitive little kitten ears."

That, and especially combined with the teasing grin on the snow leopard's face, just _had_ to be rewarded with a snow ball to the face. Oliver was glad to provide one.

Their serene walk turned into a full-out snow war and when they came in an hour later they were both soaked and freezing, thick ears or not.

"Oh my, look at you boys," Alfred said from his wheel chair, as he was being pushed along the hallway by the twins.

"Sorry for dragging snow in, Al," Oliver mumbled as he pulled his jacket off and even more fell to the floor.

"Lovely weather we're having," the old man only nodded serenely. "Have a nice day."

"You too, Alfred," the teen nodded and smiled back in that slightly too-bright way you smile when you're hurting inside.

"Let's go take a hot shower," Xue said softly.

"Is that a command, alpha?" Oliver grinned back, pushing his sadness down. _Alfred_ wasn't sad, after all, he looked pretty happy as the twins took him away, chatting about space and superheroes.

"You bet it is, so you better obey," Xue grinned back.

"Well, seems that I have no choice then…" Oliver sighed dramatically and then sprinted upstairs to his mate's room, with Xue hot on his heels.

A moment later, Oliver watched the man undress and realized something.

"This is the first time I've seen you take your socks off."

"…. What?" Xue blinked.

"Well, it_ is_! It just came to me, that I'll be seeing you do a lot of things for the first time from now on… it's… weird."

"Maybe I should get you a scrap book for a late Christmas present?"

"Maybe you should take off those jeans and give me a new memory?"

"Lucky me," Xue sighed. "I just had to mate with someone who's family motto has to be 'cheeky as hell'."

Oliver snickered, but had to admit; "If we had a family motto it probably would include the word 'hell' in one way or the other, yeah…"

"Get naked."

"And who's cheeky now?"

"That wasn't cheek, that was an order."

"Oh. Well then… yes, Sir," Oliver grinned and started shedding his clothing a little quicker. "Whatever you sAAAAIII!"

"What-?!"

"Snow! Snow in the tail-slit! Slid right down my-… slid right down."

The man laughed at him as Oliver was jumping around trying to stop snow and icy cold water from touching him anymore. "I'll go get the shower hot then," the man then said and the teen got to watch him saunter into the bathroom naked, his long thick tail swinging lazily as he moved. That was another one for the books.

"God, that man is gorgeous…" Oliver mumbled under his breath and quickly chucked his own soaked pants all the way off.

The room was already filled with steam as he entered, and it was about to become even more so…

* * *

"Wow, this is quite a bed…" Adrian said and scratched his head when he saw the very wide thing. "I guess we'll need one of these at home too…"

"I can talk to Bruce," Dominic offered.

"Please do… but only the mattress, I want to build the frame myself. It will be ready for your next visit."

"Aw, I had almost forgotten that you will leave us in… what? Two weeks?" Amy sighed.

"Yes, almost exactly," the teen nodded. He felt sad too… right now it was hard to find a good _reason_ to leave, but he knew his grades might suffer if he transferred now.

"Will you find an apartment, quickly, you think?" the woman asked.

"I hope so… though I'm not sure my parents would want me to live there unless you're there too… I might skip doing my homework or something as terrible as that," the cat said sarcastically, making a face.

"You bad boy, you," the man chuckled. "Well, it's late. Dinner was amazing, but I ate too much… Feel like I could sleep for a week."

"Silly bear," Amy giggled. "Well, I better get my boys to bed, then… wow, what a day, right?"

"Quite," Dominic muttered.

"You're still… nervous?" Amy asked worriedly.

"I'll be nervous until I can take that test," the teen admitted.

"Well, I know it won't help, but worrying about it won't change anything, so try to put it out of your mind for a few days, alright?" Adrian said as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the wife beater and the hairy chest underneath.

"Easy for you to say, _you'll _be happy either way… maybe more if I _am_…" Dominic growled.

"No… and a little bit yes," the man admitted. "I know you'll be upset, which makes me unhappy, but yeah, we have been longing for a child since we married when Amy was eighteen, so… but unless you share our joy it will be… difficult." His brown eyes turned very, very sad and Dominic just wanted to cuddle his big, stupid furry head.

The teen threw his arms out. "Well, like you said: no use in worrying, right?" he tried. "Let's see if the bed is comfy instead!"

They just went to bed, though. Neither of them took the initiative for anything else. The cats snuggled up like cats tended to do, and used the bear as both a pillow and a heating pad, making them end up in one big pile in the middle of the bed.

* * *

It was early the next morning, Christmas Day, and the house echoed with greetings of 'Merry Christmas!' from adults and children alike.

As usual they all gathered in the biggest sitting room, around a huge tree filed with glittering decorations, most made by children's hands. Oliver could pick out a few he had made himself, and quietly wondered why he had made a blue chicken with red sparkles for Christmas. Maybe it was supposed to be a swan…

"Can we start? Can we?" Braden asked eagerly.

"Sit your rump down, young man," Slade ordered. "You know how this goes; youngest first. But you two can be Santa if you want."

"Yes!"

It took a while but eventually all the gifts had been sorted through and handed to the right person. Teagan was already tearing into a parcel with a coloring book and pencils. The tradition in the household was to keep most things simple: you got a couple of small presents, often things you needed, and then their parents or their grandpa tended to give them each something a bit more expensive or special, but it rarely got as crazy as Oliver's friends sometimes imagined. No helicopters or private islands. When Bruce stood up and cleared his throat, however, Oliver had a feeling something was up.

"Oliver, Dominic, Alexandra… as you know I own the building you live in, and I have a bit of a surprise for you. As people has moved out over the years, I've bought their apartments, done them up, and rented them out short term, mostly to companies as overnight places, so, if you are interested, there are two apartments ready for you if you want them, and one bottom floor one that might do well as a business for Xue."

"Just two?" Alexandra asked.

"I'm afraid no other leases are up quite yet, but the next one is yours if you want it. Your parents and I agreed that, since you practically live at the Tower already, the other's need for a place of their own had to come first… we hope you understand?"

"Of course I do, grandpa!" the young woman smiled.

"Your dads and I would like to add," Robin spoke up with a smile, "that we get it if it sucks living so close to your parents, although it's temporary for all of you, as Dominic is going to go to college here in Gotham, and Oliver and Xue might move to his childhood home when the time comes… but still, if you want to look for a place to stay further away, we _do_ understand. Though I will call you every day," he added a bit tearfully.

"Can we have our own place too?" Taylor asked eagerly, but rather insensitively.

"No! You two and Teagan are going to live with us forever," Robin told him sternly.

"Okay," the thirteen year old just shrugged. "Hey, can we use their rooms as game rooms?"

"I feel like I'm dead and you're dividing my belongings," Oliver muttered. "But grandpa, Mom, Dad, Father, thank you! It would be great if Xue could have a practice so close to home."

"Well, you_ did_ ask for it," Slade said smugly.

"You did?" Xue added, and gave Oliver a small smile. "Thank you. And thank _you,_ Sirs."

"I'd like to join in on that thank you," Adrian rumbled. "We both hope we'll be able to visit as much as possible throughout spring, and having a place of our own to stay will make things easier."

"Though you will have to build an extra bed," Amy grinned.

"A bed just like the one upstairs has been ordered for you," Robin grinned. "It comes with the place."

"It's too much, it really is… I have no idea how we're going to repay you…" Amy said quietly.

"Easy," Bruce shrugged, "make sure your husband doesn't screw up on the construction sites."

"We'll make sure of that," Dominic chuckled, leaning into the big man.

Oliver then took a present from Xue's very small pile –there hadn't been much time for anyone to shop for the new family members after all− and handed it to him. "It's from me. It's just something stupid…"

"It _can't _be stupid, it's from you, stupid baby," the man grinned and tore the paper off.

"You probably don't know what it is, but-" the teen began.

"It's a model of the statue you were hiding behind at the museum! I love it… but when did you have time to buy it?"

"When I pretended I left my gloves inside when we were leaving for lunch," Oliver grinned.

"Why were you hiding in the museum?" Slade wanted to know, frowning.

"Easy there, big boy," Robin chuckled. "I have a feeling it was just a game. Yup. See that blush on our son's face?"

"Mom, stop," Oliver muttered.

"I have something for you too," Xue said and stood up, reaching into his trouser pocket. "We haven't spoken about it that much, and you might think I'm against the idea, but I'm fine with breaking Ferocita traditions and create our own. That said, there's still a human tradition I always rather liked…" He smoothly sank down on one knee, his long tail giving him away as it twitched nervously. "Oliver, you are already my mate , but will you also do me the honor of becoming my husband?" he asked while opening the small black box, which contained a wide silver ring with engraved Chinese letters.

"…I… I… y-yes?" the teen eventually managed, tears threatening to run down his cheeks.

"Damn cat!" A deep voice suddenly rambled, but it was followed by a chuckle. "Dominic, Amy and I was going to ask you the exact same thing." The bear and the serval also kneeled on the floor in front of a very red Dominic. "Will you marry us? Amy made the ring, it's only temporary, though…"

"They can do that? Be married all three of them?" Xue whispered to Oliver. The attention might have shifted from them, but that just meant that they could kiss in peace, which they had just done.

"Yeah, the state of New York was the first state to recognize polygamous marriages a few years ago, for up to four people," Oliver whispered back.

"Um, I… sure! Yes! Could you two get up from the floor?" Dominic groaned. "Idiots."

"Very touching proposal acceptance there," Bruce chuckled.

"I wish Conner was here!" Alexandra sighed loudly.

"He wouldn't _dare,"_ Slade growled.

"But Daddy, don't you want to give me away?" the young woman asked sweetly.

"If it had been up to me, you'd be an old spinster," Slade smirked.

"You're so mean," his daughter jokingly pouted.

"I'll be your spinster, daddy!" Teagan piped up and the mercenary lifted her up into his lap.

"Thank you darling. It's you and me then, right?"

"Yes!" Teagan nodded. "What's a spinster?"

"A person who usually has a lot of cats," Slade deadpanned.

"Oh… so are you a spinster, then daddy?"

"She's right," Red guffawed. "We might be 'crazy cat men'… it starts with _one_," he added and put his arm around Robin.

"Your fathers aren't spinsters, they are just a little silly in the head," Robin smiled at his daughter.

"These Christmas parties get wilder each year…" Alfred mused from his chair.

"It's not a party, Al, we're getting married!" Oliver let him know.

"Oh! Congratulations! This calls for some tea, don't you think?"

"Let me pour you a cup," the teen smiled. "I got you the kind you like."

"You're such a sweet boy, little Oliver," the old man nodded.

"Well, this was quite a Christmas morning…" Bruce said when everyone had settled down a bit. "Are you sure you lot shouldn't get married as well?" he asked Slade.

"We could, but I don't think anyone wants us," the mercenary smirked.

"Shut it, sweetie," Robin grinned. "At least our bastards won't have bastards, that's something. This family is coming up in the world."

"Might soon be able to show our faces around town," Red nodded.

"We won't afford to, with two weddings coming up," Slade shrugged.

"We'll pay for ours, of course!" Adrian spoke up.

"And me for ours!" Xue added. "As soon as I have the new practice up and running, I should be able to-"

"It was just a joke," Slade interrupted. "The finances will sort themselves out, we'll get there when you start thinking of the where and when."

"Summer," both Xue and Adrian answered and then looked at each other.

"No earlier or we'll disrupt their studies," Amy explained.

"You're welcome to disrupt my studies as much as you want," Oliver grinned at his mate.

"If you slack off, I'll send you home to your mother," the man stated.

"I like you," Robin grinned, while Oliver sighed and shook his head. Seemed like he couldn't win.

"We have more presents to open, could you all stop being boring and icky and kissing all the time?" Taylor finally exclaimed, apparently at the end of his rope.

"Mmph?" Dominic, who was guilty with just that with Amy at the moment, grunted.

"All right, all right. Who's next then?" Robin laughed and ruffled the eager boy's hair. "Go on, open that one. I bought you a_ lot_ of socks this year, because I know you _love _those."

The room returned more or less to normal, but two teen boys were now fiddling with the rings on their fingers, and wearing matching, slightly stunned, smiles.

"It's weird… I mean, my ferocita side knows we're mates and will be together forever _anyway_, and my human side is yelling at me that it's crazy because we've only met a few days ago," Dominic admitted, looking at the ring Amy had made out of lines of tiny golden beads, somehow woven together into a wide band.

"We'll get you a real one," the woman said apologetically as she saw him studying it.

"No, I love it," Dominic insisted.

"Thank you, but it will probably break easily," she smiled.

"Then can you at least design the replacement as well?"

"Sure, do you like this one?" she asked and lifted Adrian's hand up, so Dominic could take a closer look at his wedding ring. It was really quite manly and understated with clean, geometrical lines.

"Yes, it looks great!"

"Well, thank you, I drew it," the woman smiled. "Both of ours, and then had it commissioned by a goldsmith in the city. I'll have him make you one as well."

"You are so talented, you could do this for a living!"

"Nah, it's just a hobby."

"No, really! Adrian, tell her!"

"I've tried," the man rumbled affectionately.

"It would take too much time anyway, I'd just get stressed. This way I get to do what I love, but only when I _feel_ like it… I don't want it to become my _job_," Amy explained and the teen nodded, he understood what she meant but it still frustrated him a bit that the world didn't know what an amazing talent his fiancée was. He told her as much and made her blush and kiss him again.

"Eeeewwww…" was heard from one of the twins.

"Can it, dweebs, or I'm going to ask her to kiss you too," Dominic threatened

"Argh! No! Gross!" was the reaction, which intensified as Amy made kissy faces at the hooligans.

"Wow, huh?" Oliver said to Dominic as the triplets found themselves alone for a while an hour later.

"Wow, indeed."

"I'm so happy for you and I hate you a lot," Alexandra said, looking puzzled. "I can't believe you'll get married before me!"

"Well, have a chat with Conner when we get home and we can make it a triple wedding," the black-haired teen smirked.

"Actually… combining it all maybe wouldn't be such a bad idea? We can help plan and won't have two events to stress over… three if Alexandra whips a certain Superboy."

"I'm not going to whip him… I'm not even going to suggest it," the woman sniffed. "I'll just tell him about yours and look really sad."

"He's a man, he won't get it," Oliver warned him. "Not with all the 'super' in the world."

"Fine, maybe I'll give him more of a _hint_."

"Still won't help," Oliver grinned. "But you want to get married, then? I don't think it's that common with our kind, actually… I mean, the mating is more than enough, after all."

"It's starting to be more common, at least for those who are 'out' in the human world… I mean, it's a legal issue too," Dominic lectured. "The word 'mate' doesn't mean anything when it comes to the rights of couples. Yet."

"I don't care about the legal stuff, I want a ring and a dress and pretty things," Alexandra sighed dreamingly.

"When the hell did _you_ turn into a girl?" Oliver asked.

"Don't let father hear you talk like that, Alex, it will kill him to think that you're that shallow," her other brother smirked.

"Sometimes it's okay to think that those things are important!" the woman claimed. "But yeah, I wouldn't want daddy to hear that either… And I think I'll pass on the wedding for now… wait a few years… make it all about _me_…"

"Just don't wait until we start having babies," Oliver snickered. "Then you'll just be outdone again."

"Don't you dare have kids before me!" his sister growled.

"Can't promise anything," Dominic said and patted his stomach. He then turned a bit pale. "Oh, shit, I forgot I might be knocked up…"

"You know I love you, right, but it would kinda crack me up if you, of the three of us, would end up a teenage mom," Oliver grinned.

"Yeah, damn goody-two-shoes," Alexandra joined in.

"That's it, I'm switching your pills for candy," their brother growled.

"You have candy?" Teagan asked as she ran into the room.

"No, we were just joking," Dominic explained.

"Are you _sure_ you don't have any?"

"Yes, and even if we_ did_ you're not allowed any before dinner," Oliver chuckled and picked her up. "How about we try out that new game you got?"

"YAAAY! Alex and Nick too?"

"Of course."

"Hey, don't volunteer us!" Dominic groaned.

"I just did, no moping," Oliver snickered.

"No moping!" Teagan echoed.

"Fine, no moping," Dominic moped.

The day passed in a blur and Oliver honestly had no idea what else he had gotten for Christmas. An apartment and a proposal was as much as his brain could handle at the moment. After an amazing dinner, courtesy of Amy and her 'team', the whole house went into a sort of coma from all the food. Oliver had hidden away with Xue again and the pair was curled up on a couch in a study, in front of an open roaring fire.

"How are you holding up with all the crazy family life?" the teen asked softly.

"I think I'm actually getting used to it." The snow leopard sounded like this surprised him.

"You're tougher than you thought," the teen chuckled softly.

"Mmm… I'm tough, alright, and if I could move I'd show you some of my other qualities."

"Hula dancing? Brick laying? Accounting?"

"I'd make sure _something_ got laid, alright."

"Heh." Oliver closed his eyes and hugged the man closer for a moment before sighing happily. "Thank you for proposing to me."

It was the leopard's turn to chuckle. "I don't think you are supposed to_ thank_ me."

"But I am! Why did you do it? Were you going to all along?"

"No… I brought the ring from home –it was my father's, so it's not a true engagement ring from the beginning – but I didn't know if I was going to propose to you quite this soon. I thought we needed more time to get to know each other before it felt right to be… more than mates. Do I make any sense?"

"Yes… but you didn't think we needed more time, then?"

"No, you stupid baby, I didn't," the man said warmly.

"If you continue to use that term of endearment, people are going to think you're verbally abusing me," Oliver snickered.

"It's not my fault. You stole my toy and then got all whiny when I wanted it back."

"I was five months old!"

"Yeah. Stupid baby."

Oliver sighed and shook his head. "You big cats are a bit thick headed, aren't you?" he teased. "Oh, by the way… the signs on the ring… what do they mean?" he asked, holding up his hand.

Xue traced a finger over the row of tiny signs. "Strength, commitment, loyalty," he said, outlining the signs that made up each word. "My father believed quite a lot in those words, and I thought it was a rather good base to build a marriage on."

"Not love?"

"Love too, but I don't believe love can exist without these three."

"You might be right," Oliver nodded. They both dozed off shortly thereafter and didn't wake up until that evening to calls to come have roasted apples and other snacks.

* * *

"Can someone explain," Dominic groaned as they went to bed, "how I could overeat _twice_ in one day?" He fell on top of the bed and curled up on his side.

"It's Christmas?" Amy chuckled. "And thank you, I'll take that as a compliment."

"Want to work it off?" Adrian offered and cupped the teen's ass.

"Touch me again and you're dead," Dominic growled. "If I move, I'll explode."

"I'll work it off with you, darling," the serval grinned at her husband and they were soon making out on the bed. Dominic tried to get interested, but it was useless; he was just too full of food and sweets. He swore never to eat again. At least not_ this_ year.

* * *

Oliver and Xue spent the days between Christmas and New Years with enjoying Gotham city a bit more; going to a movie, a Shakespeare play and dining out, often just the two of them but they also 'double dated' with Dominic and the Martins, talking about the weddings and making sure they were all on the same page. It was difficult enough for a couple to agree on things, but they were five people, still it seemed to work out, and Amy was commissioned to make all the wedding rings. As she and Adrian already were married, they needed a special kind of marriage permit to add someone to their union, and they had made sure to file for that now seeing those things could take some time.

The only conflict in the family arose on the thirtieth.

"But it's New Year!" Alexandra complained. "_Of course _I want to spend it with him!"

"But… can't you ask him to come _here_?" Robin tried.

"Moooom… sit around here with _you_ when there's a party at the tower?"

"Aaaand you're grounded," her father said.

"Daddy!" the woman seemed to take a deep breath and turned to Robin again. "Mom?" When he didn't immediately jump to her defense, she turned to Red. "Dad? Come on, _you_ of all people haven't forgotten what fun is, right?"

"Pretty much, but I remember having some before you guys came along," the man smirked.

"Argh!" the frustration came off the young woman in waves. "What is the problem here? I'll be safe, they are all heroes! Mom, it's the next generation of your old team! Actually Gar and Cy might even be there!"

"Yes, but we _always_ spend New Year's together," Robin objected.

"But that's because we always celebrate it _here_… it's not really a _family_ holiday, it's a _party _holiday and we almost never go to a _real _party… if we do, it's just a stuffy business one. Mom, please! I'll be with my mate! Ollie and Dom get to, it's not _fair_."

"Still, it's…"

"Would you understand if he had been a ferocita? You were _very _understanding when the Martin's dragged Dominic away!"

"That's too far, young lady!" her father growled, making the girl cover slightly and then hang her head.

"Yes, I know, I'm sorry… but he_ is_ my mate, just as much as my brother's are… it's... difficult to be away from him for so long."

"Fine…" Robin sighed. "Fine, you may go."

"Yes! Thank you mom!" Alexandra whooped and hugged him hard.

"And my vote doesn't count?" Slade muttered.

"Sorry, sweetie, but I don't think it does. They are growing up and leaving us," Robin sighed and went from his current hug to cuddle in Slade's arms instead. "Almost makes me want to have more."

"Haaaaang on a minute! Alexandra, please assure your mother that you are just leaving for a party!" Red hurriedly said.

"We're not having more children, you'll have to do with grandchildren," Slade said firmly.

"I know, I know… but I'm only thirty-four you know! That's not old!"

"Exactly, so let's not waste more of our youth having babies," Red smirked. "Maybe we should go to a party of our own? No kids, just us… drinking, dancing…"

"Like daddy can dance," Alexandra snickered. She got a look from the man and paled. "No… no please tell me he doesn't dance when you're out? Please! I can't take it! My brain! AAAHHH!" she said and hurried away.

Oliver and Dominic, who had been sitting very quietly in the background with their mates, trying to look like they minded their own business, looked at each other and winced. Oliver stood up and grabbed Xue's arm.

"We need to go for a walk on our own," he said.

"But I'm fine?" The man, who had actually been engrossed in a book the whole time, blinked. "I don't need to get away…?"

"No, but_ I_ do," the teen groaned, "because soon my parents will probably start discussing dancing, maybe even… even… _show_ us-"

"We'll go on that walk too!" Dominic decided and shot up from his seat. Fresh air! Great!"

"And _that's_ how you get rid of the kids," Red chuckled as they walked out.

* * *

On New Year's Eve Adrian had driven into town for a while to go to their apartment and water the plants, pick up a few groceries as Dominic would come back with them for the last few days before the family left for Jump City, and so on. When he came back he was holding a brown paper bag and looking peculiar.

"So… Nicky…?" he asked.

"Yeah?" The teen and Amy were sitting in a sofa looking through old photo albums of the triplets as babies. Alfred had always made sure that there were old fashioned albums and Bruce had kept up the tradition when the old butler no longer could. All the photos had little notes of the year and situations. Some were from Jump, but most of them seemed to be from Christmas time in Gotham.

"I… I bought a… a test."

Dominic's heart stopped for a moment and he swallowed. "Oh… I− I guess… I guess I should take it, then?"

No one had said a word about the possibility of him being pregnant in a week, and though it had popped into his mind occasionally, he had been able to shrug it off… and suddenly he was faced with it again… and now he'd _know_.

"I know how it works, should I go with you, or do you want to read the instructions?" Amy asked.

"I think you telling me what to do right now will work the best…" the teen smiled shakily. "let's go to our room, though."

As he stood up the bear pulled him into a tight hug. "You can't 'fail' this test, alright? Whatever it says we'll do the best of the situation, okay?"

"I know," the young man mumbled quietly and nodded.

It was the hardest piss he had taken in his life. He didn't mind that Amy was there; he had used public urinals before and she was his mate… it was just peeing… it was just getting anything _out _that was the problem.

"If you don't have to go we'll just try later," the serval said.

"That's just it, I _do_ have to go… it's just not happening."

"Want me to leave?"

"No, I… just… need… to… focus."

Eventually he managed it, the drops required were collected and then the waiting began. It was a two minute test so they took it out to Adrian who was waiting outside. The man set a timer on his phone.

It didn't beep for an eternity, but when it did, it was too soon.

"Could… could you look?" Dominic asked Adrian.

The man nodded and the cats both watched him intently as he walked over, grabbed the test and looked down on it.

Dominic told himself that it was unlikely. It was his first heat, and not even his mother had become pregnant on his. It was like… a pre-heat, a practice run. And the man was a bear. Cat and bear. He and Amy had tried for years. There was no way, that-

Adrian's lips seemed to quirk but then his face froze like he wanted to stop the emotion from showing.

"No…" the teen gasped. "I'm… I'm…?"

"It's positive," the man said, still holding on to that carefully blank expression.

"I... I… I need to… I…" He made a dash for the door, when Adrian called out after him.

"Wait! We should talk!"

"No! Not now! I … I need to think about this alone, without your… influence, okay? I just… just give me an hour." His alpha nodded and the teen left, at a slower pace now. Down the stairs, to the door, where he put on his boots and jacket, and then out the front door, into a world of snow.

It had been falling almost constantly since right before Christmas. They had given up clearing anything but the absolutely necessary paths, but the teen didn't care; he headed straight out across the lawn, even though the snow reached his thighs. He walked and walked until his legs burned and sweat was pouring off him, making him feel colder in the end. He stopped by some trees, realizing that for all that time walking he hadn't even gotten half way around the estate; the snow had slowed him down considerably. He leaned against a tree trunk, fighting the urge to sit down. He'd rest a while and then go back. He had probably been walking close to an hour already. It was time to think.

"I'm pregnant." He said it out aloud just to see what it sounded like. It sounded unreal. Was he horrified, though? Yes, a bit. Enough to end the pregnancy? That was the question. How would it affect his life? His relationship with the Martins? No. No, he stopped himself there, he couldn't think about_ their_ feelings, not right now, at least, not as a first step. It was_ he_ who would be affected the most, at least during the first nine months of this. He would be the one who would be throwing up and be in pain, which might affect his studies. I _certainly_ would affect his first month or two in college. Once the baby or_ babies_ –he had to take some deep, steady breaths when he thought of _that_ – were born, he had Amy and Adrian to care for it or them when he was at school, so he wasn't that worried about that part. The breastfeeding could-

"Shit and fuck and damn and hell! I'm gonna get boobs!"

"Not what you expect to hear your son say…" a voice behind him chuckled.

If anyone would follow him, Dominic would have expected his mother or Adrian, not his father, but Slade was standing there calmly, looking at him and giving him an encouraging smile.

"Your mom was worried about the cold, but if you need more time…? Though it sounds like you made your mind up."

"It does?"

"You said 'I'm _going to get_ boobs'," his father pointed out.

"Yes… well… _If _I go through with it… but_ is_ there even a way out?"

"Yes, an abortion pill would still be effective after just a week. Bruce is standing by to get you some, and a doctor, if that's what you want."

"Will it hurt?"

"Yes, you'll get some quite bad cramps."

"Will it take long?"

"Hours or days, it depends."

"Will they hate me?"

"They wouldn't _dare_. Besides, Adrian told me to tell you that you can't make a wrong choice here, they will support you either way."

"That doesn't help…" Dominic muttered.

"It doesn't? Seems to me it would make things easier."

"What do _you _think?"

"I think that what you have now is a clump of cells. If you keep it, it will grow to become the centre of your universe, you will love it unconditionally in a way you can't imagine. And if you get rid of it, it's just a clump of cells. It has no more meaning at this stage. You'll have more children, carried by Amy, who might be better prepared for-"

"You don't think I can do it?!" Pale silver eyes were blazing.

Slade smirked and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I think you'll do amazingly. I know you will. So are you going to make Bruce a great grandfather or not?"

"_You'll_ be a grandfather in that case…"

"Oh, I know. Red is complaining about being too young as we speak," the man chuckled.

"Well…" Dominic said and then sighed before straightening up. "I guess he has to get used to the idea."

"May I tell Bruce? I'll buy you the whole nursery if you'll let me," his father grinned and then pulled him into a long, firm hug.

That night they all watched the fireworks over Gotham from the balcony as the clock struck midnight. Dominic, who had alcohol free cider in his glass, while the others had champagne, stood cuddled between Amy and Adrian. The bear had barely let go of him the whole day. like he was afraid that he'd run away. The teen was calm now, though. With_ this_ family, what was there to fear?

"Happy New Year!" Oliver grinned at him and clinked his glass.

"I don't think that's quite appropriate for us two, brother," Dominic grinned back and raised his. "Happy New _Life_!"

_The End._

* * *

A/N: Yup. That was it. No more cats! And I'm starting a new job in seven days so I might be quiet for a while… I AM working a bit on a new Sladin thing, though, because of a plot bunny, but we'll see…

Now when it's all over… what did you think? And what part was your fav, the 'present' or the 'future'?


End file.
